Movingfor Health:Policy Recommendations
01.Purposeand Targetgroups
TheMovingforHealthPolicyRecommendationshavebeen preparedbytheprojectconsortiumtoaddressfourdifferent settingsandthekeyactorswithinthem.Ouraimistoprovide concreterecommendationsforcreatinghealthierandmore activecommunities,andtoemphasisehowtheconceptsof PhysicalLiteracy(PL)andHealthLiteracy(HL)together contributetoimprovedhealthoutcomesandgreatersocial well-beingacrosscommunities.
Therecommendationsaretailoredtosupportadiverse rangeofstakeholders,including:
SchoolSetting:Incorporatingcross-disciplinaryprofessionalssuchas physicaleducationteachers,teachersfromdifferentsubjectsor domains,administratorsasschoolcounsellors,schooladministrators, responsibleforhealth(nurses)andnutrition Engagementshouldoccur bothatthelocallevel,throughschoolprincipalsandschoolcouncils, andatthenationallevelviatheMinistryresponsibleforEducation, physicaleducationandsport,anditsrespectivedepartments.The coordinationwiththeministryresponsibleforhealthwouldbeimportant support
HealthSetting:Encompassinghealthcarepractitioners,includingfamily doctors,nurses,physiotherapists,kinesiologists,andotherhealth professionals,speciallyfromprimaryhealthcarelevel.Focusshouldbe placedontheMinistryresponsibleforHealthandNationalInstitutesof PublicHealthforthenational-levelengagement
LocalCommunitySetting:Includingcitizenassociations,family,friends andneighbourhoodgroups,aswellasprofessionalssuchaslandscape architects,urbanplanners,andplacemakers.Itisimportanttoengage localauthorities,particularlymunicipalbodies,withafocusonpublic environmentsandfacilities.
SportSetting:Focusingonnationalumbrellasportorganisations, grassrootsportsclubsandsportforallorganizations,withaparticular emphasisoncoachesaswellasmanagersandothersportsclubʼsstaff, forexamplephysiotherapists Policyengagementshouldincludelocal authoritiesthroughmunicipaldepartmentsandnationalstakeholdersvia theMinistryresponsibleforSports.
02.Keymessages
Somekeymessagesarerelevantacrosssettingandcanbeappliedto allfourdomains:
HealthLiteracy(HL)andPhysicalLiteracy(PL)can serveaspowerfuldriversofsocialinnovation, contributingsignificantlytoimprovedhealth outcomesandsocialwell-being.
PhysicalLiteracyencompassestheskillsandattributesthatindividuals demonstratethroughphysicalactivityandmovementthroughouttheir lifecourse.Itcanbeunderstoodasbothaprocessandanoutcomethat individualspursuethroughtheinteractionoftheirphysical,emotional, socialandcognitivelearning
HealthLiteracycanbedefinedasadynamicconceptthatreferstoan individual'sknowledge,perceptionsandbehaviour,basedonacomplex setofinteractionsrelatingtotheirhealthandillness.Healthliteracy dependsonsocio-economicandculturalconditions,aswellasdifferent skills(writing,reading,listeningandspeaking) 1
Assuch,effortstopromoteHLandPLshouldnotbeconfinedtoa singlesetting.Theseliteraciesareinherentlyinterconnected.For example,astudentmaysimultaneouslyparticipateinabookclub,a soccerteam,andrequiresupportfromakinesiologist 2
Itisthereforeessentialtocreatethesocietalprerequisitesandsystems tosupportindividualsintheirpursuitofqualityphysicalactivitiesand health.Thisisoptimallyfacilitatedthroughabroadcoalitionofexperts andstakeholdersfromdiversebackgroundsandareas Thisinclusive andcross-sectoralapproachiskeytopromotingHLandPLinthemost integratedandeffectivewaypossible,providingaframeworkthat servesasastartingpointforcross-sectorexplorationand collaborationtowardanationalconsensusonquestionsandinitiatives thatpromotehealththroughmovement
Keymessagestailoredtothedifferentsettingsalsoneedtobe addressed.
1 AdditionalinformationcanbefoundintheResearchonthePromotionofPhysical andHealthLiteracy
2 Formoreinformation,pleasechecktheCounciloftheEuropeanUnion Recommendation(2018/C189/01)onkeycompetencesforlifelonglearningand thestrategiestoadopt.
Schoolsetting
Itisessentialtoimplementschool-basedinitiativesthatprom HealthLiteracy(HL)andPhysicalLiteracy(PL) TheHL/PLfram shouldguidethedesign,implementation,andevaluationofle activitiesthatsupportchildrenʼscognitive,social,psychologica physicalandwell-beinglearninganddevelopmentacrossallsc settings.TheseinitiativesshouldfollowtheWhole-Schoolfort PromotionofPhysicalActivityApproachintegratingbothcurr andextracurricularopportunitieswithastrongemphasisonp activelearning.3
→Clearandconsistentcommunicationabouttheseinitiativesisvital.
→Involvingthepoliticalbodiesandfamiliesisequallyimportantto reinforceawarenessandunderstandingofHLandPLbeyondthe schoolenvironment
Indailyschoollife,regularrecessperiodsshouldbeestablished,with appropriatelydesignedspacesandsufficienttimetoencourage physicalactivity.Itisimportanttodifferentiatebetweenshortbreaks thatoccurbetweenlessonsandrecessperiods,whicharelonger breaksofapproximately30minutesthattakeplacemid-morningor mid-afternoon.Theselongerrecessperiodsoffergreaterflexibilityto planandimplementsports,games,andactivitiesthatpromotePLand HL.
→Supportstaffcanplayakeyroleinfacilitatingandanimatingthese momentstofurtherpromotePL
Additionally,activemodesoftransportation,suchaswalkingor cycling,shouldbeencouragedwhenpossibleoverpassiveoptions,to integratemovementintostudentsʼdailyroutines.
→Existinginitiativesillustratethisapproachwell,includingtheWalking BusforyoungerchildrenandtheBikeTrain
Promotinghealthyandbalancedlunches,alongwithencouraging regularwaterintake,areconcretemeasuresthatcanbeimplementedin schoolstofurtherfamiliarizestudentswithPLandHL
HLandPLshouldbeembeddedwithintheschoolcurriculumwithin thephysicalactivelearningandspeciallessons.Thisintegration ensuresdedicatedtimefromschoolstaffandaccesstonecessary financialresourcesforsustainedpromotionanddevelopmentofHLand PL
3.Pleasecheckthereferencesalreadyincludedasrecommendationsfromthe followingprojects:ActiveVoiceProject,ActiveSchoolCommunities, #Schools4Health,PAHLEPSandPAHLESS.
Healthsetting
integrationoftheseconceptsintonationalhealthpoliciestoequip healthcarepractitionerswiththeknowledgeandskillstoapplythem effectively.
→Practitionersserveascriticaltouchpointsbetweenpatientsandthe broaderhealthcaresystemandfacilities.
IntegratetheassessmentandpromotionofHLandPLintopatient careatalllevelsofthehealthsystem.Thiscanbeachievedthrough initiativesthatencourageactive,health-promotinglifestyles,supported bygroupworkshopsandindividualcounselling →Illustrativeexamples,suchasSloveniaʼs“LetʼsGetMovingˮ4 workshopsbasedonthe24-hourmovementconcept,showhowsuch approachescaneffectivelypromotelastingbehaviourchangeon primaryhealthcarelevel.
Effectivepractitionertrainingshouldbesupportedbythedevelopment ofreliablemeasurementtoolstoassessandenhancetheintegrationof
4.Formoreinformation,pleasechecktheTogetherforHealthProgramme implementedinSlovenia.
Localcommunitysetting
ToeffectivelyenhanceHealthLiteracy(HL)andPhysicalLiteracy(PL) withinlocalcommunities,initiativesmustbetailoredtothespecific culturalandcontextualcharacteristicsofeachcommunity.
→Itisessentialtodesigninterventionsthatalignwiththeneedsand expectationsofcommunitymembers.A"one-size-fits-all"approach shouldbeavoided.
Engaginglocalstakeholdersandcommunityleadersiscrucialfor accuratelyidentifyinglocalneedsandco-developingcontextappropriatestrategies.
→UsingaPL-HLmodelasaneutralandsharedplatformcanbe advantageousinhelpinglocalstakeholdersandcommunityleaders fromdifferentmovementandhealthsectorsseehowtheirtasksand responsibilitiestowardscitizensaredeeplyinter-connectedandcodependent.
ByadoptingthedesignprinciplesofaPL-HLmodel,movementand healthpromotinginitiativescanachievemorepositiveeffectswithless resources(economic,ecologicandhuman)
Itisimportantthatmovementandhealthstakeholdershaveashared understandingoftherootcausesofproblems,notjustthesymptoms.
→Physicalinactivityandpoorhealthshouldbeconsiderednotasan isolatedissue,butasasymptomofbroadersystemicbarriersthat preventindividualsfrombeingequippedwiththeskillsand knowledgetoliveahealthyandphysicallyactivelife.
ThroughanenhancedunderstandingofPLandHL,movementand healthprovidersinacommunitycanincreasetheircollectivecapacity todesignqualityprogrammesandplaceswherepeopleareequipped withcriticalskillsandknowledgetoliveahealthyandphysicallyactive life.
Sportsetting
Sportneedstobereframedasatoolforhealthpromotion,notsolely asadomainofperformanceandcompetition
→Atthegrassrootslevel,thisshiftisvitaltoattractnewparticipants andcreatetrulyinclusiveenvironments.Policiesshouldactively promoteparticipationforall,withparticularattentiontoremoving barriersthatmayleadtoexclusion.
Comprehensivetrainingforcoachesisessential.Educatingcoaches onthecoreprinciplesofHealthLiteracy(HL)andPhysicalLiteracy(PL) willenablethemtodesigninclusiveandsupportivepracticesthat promotetheseliteracies,ultimatelycontributingtoimprovedindividual healthoutcomesandimprovedphysicalcompetences.
→Inalignmentwiththebroadervisionofsporttofosterhealthand nurtureparticipantsʼholisticdevelopmentasindividuals notsolely asathletes coachingpracticesshouldintentionallyintegrateHLand PLprinciples.
→Toenhanceapplicability,ensureeffectiveimplementation,and encouragefasteradoptionoftheconcept,practical,ready-to-use resourcesforcoaches suchasexamples,exercises,andactivitytips integratingPLandHLcontent shouldbedeveloped.
D52 Recommendationsforsuccessfulimplementationof MOVINGforHEALTHmodel(PLandHL)
ProjectisfundedbytheEuropeanUnion. Viewsandopinionsexpressedarehowever thoseoftheauthor(s)onlyanddonot necessarilyreflectthoseoftheEuropean UnionortheEuropeanEducationand CultureExecutiveAgency(EACEA) Neither theEuropeanUnionnorEACEAcanbeheld responsibleforthem