Active Living Survey of Ramsey County Managers and Supervisors

1. Active Living Surveyof Ramsey County Managers and Supervisors Conducted March-April 2010 Findings

2. Collaborative Effort • ALRC!—Active Living Ramsey Communities! • Ramsey County Park and Recreation Department • SHIP—Ramsey County Statewide Health Improvement Program • Ramsey County Public Health Department

3. Background The Board of Ramsey County Commissioners passed a resolution directing the County Manager to work with Senior Management Team to address how Ramsey County can integrate Active Living Principles* into the work of County departments. August 2008 *Creating safe, convenient and affordable opportunities, environments, and policies that help people integrate physical activity into daily routines including all places where people live, work, study and play

4. Original Evaluation Questions • What is currently happening to implement Active Living Principles in Ramsey County Departments? (Gather examples from early adopters) • What are the perceived opportunities? • What are the perceived challenges or barriers?

5. Survey Development Survey Purposes • Establish a baseline of current practices • Internal—Infusion of “Active Living” principles into the work setting to promote physical activity of employees • External—Infusion of “Active Living” principles into programs and services to foster greater physical activity of clients, customers and citizens • Inform the work of ALRC! Policy Teams • Infusion Team • Attitudes and Behaviors Team • Ramsey County as Model Employer Team • Increase managers’ and supervisors’ awareness of “Active Living” Survey Content organized by infusion strategies

6. Strategies to Infuse Change Based on CDC’s Spectrum of Prevention* • Inform and educate individuals • Facilitate peer support • Provide equipment and facilities • Collaborate with interested parties • Incorporate into practices and work rules • Establish guidelines and policies *Adapted from Centers for Disease Control

7. Questions: INTERNAL What does your work unit have related to support physical activity of employees? Questions asked about: • Information and Education • Peer Support • Equipment, Facilities and Infrastructure • Collaboration and Interest • Practices and Work Rules • Guidelines or Policies

8. Questions: EXTERNAL What does your work unit do to support active living among clients, customers or citizens? Questions asked about: • Informing about PA Opportunities & Places • Supporting Physical Activity Behaviors • Educating Staff and Service Providers • Collaborating • Designing and Building Infrastructure • Changing Policies, Guidelines or Procedures

9. Philosophical Underpinning of Spectrum of Prevention Strategies

10. Survey Procedure • All Ramsey County department heads, managers and supervisors (n=496) invited to participate by County Manager • On-line, anonymous survey • Two reminders sent • Good response rate • 52% • All Departments represented

11. Results to be Shared with • ALRC! Teams • SHIP • Ramsey County Department Heads • Human Resources • New Worksite Wellness Committee • Minnesota Department of Health • Others

12. Findings INTERNAL Promoting physical activity and active living of employees Assets & Opportunities Challenges Insights

13. Assets & OpportunitiesBuild upon these to promote physical activity/active living • Interest--Existing interest in physical activity at work • Efforts underway--Promotion efforts underway in some departments • Facilities Available--Exercise facilities available at some locations

14. Assets & OpportunitiesExisting interest in physical activity at work • 60% of managers and supervisors have interested employees • 37% perceive support from upper management • 44% rate the degree of management support as “moderate” to “high” • Some work units currently have Champions (15%) and/or Wellness Committees (15%)

15. Assets & OpportunitiesPromotion efforts underway in some departments • Some work units have conducted challenges (8%) or offered incentives (5%) • 27% have classes available before or after work or at lunchtime • 38% report the use of email or other internal communication to inform employees • 65% have regular breaks when physical active is possible

16. Assets & OpportunitiesFacilities for physical activity available at some locations • 92% identified one or more existing “facilities” for physical activity

17. Equipment, Facilities & InfrastructureAn asset, not a barrier! This category had the highest rate of positive responses • Accessible stairs (60%) • Nearby trails or walking routes (56%) • Worksite accessible by multimodal transportation (bikes, walking, public transportation) (43%) • Indoor space available for exercise (34%) • Bike facilities (racks 29%, lockers or in door parking 32%) • Shower or changing area (29%)

18. Types of equipment and facilities available at some sites • Walking workstations • Treadmills • Weights • Exercise bikes • Employee donated equipment • Loaner bikes • Gym • Showers

19. Challenges & BarriersReduce these to enable positive forces • Perceptions • Awareness • Knowledge • Opposing views • Resources

20. What challenges do you face making your worksite more “physical activity friendly”?

21. Perceptions—a challenge • 60% of managers and supervisors indicate that employees in their work unit are interested in physical activity promotion • But, 63% do not believe they have management support for physical activity promotion of their employees • “This is the first I’ve heard that the County is interested in employees physical activity.” • 57% indicate that it is “very” to “extremely important” that Ramsey County enables them, personally, to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine

22. Perceived Management Support for Active Living The degree of management support for integration of Active Living in their work unit was rated as: • none 17% • some 33% • moderate 26% • high 18% • very high 6%

23. Awareness—a challenge • Many managers and supervisors are not aware of strategies related to active living or physical activity promotion for employees • Percent that checked doing “nothing” for: • Peer Support (55%) • Guidelines or Policies (53%) • Information and Education (39%) • Collaboration and Interest (32%) • Practices and Work Rules (27%)

24. Knowledge—a challenge

25. Opposing Views—a challenge(Themes expressed by a few) • Not needed • “Most staff already have workout routines outside of work” • “Staff exercise on own time” • “Job is already physically demanding” • Not our job/not our responsibility • “How much is work going to control individual lifestyle?” • “Go live your life as you see fit” • “Don’t expect government to take care of you.” • Public perception • “Our obligation is to taxpayers to use tax dollars wisely” • “Public perception of people getting paid to work out” • “Continued fear that we as public employees will look like slackers”

26. Resources—a challenge • Hygiene—need a place to clean up, dress • Risk management—concerns regarding in-office exercise equipment • Implementation costs—funds dedicated to the cause; funds for equipment and space • Staff schedules—flexing not possible, 24/7 staff, set clinic hours • Dual use space—can only use if no meeting • Maintenance—responsibility for upkeep

27. Insights: Promoting Physical Activity and Active Living for Employees • There are several identifiable assets and opportunities to build upon. • Equipment, Facilities, and Infrastructure is not the biggest barrier! • A majority of managers and supervisors believe Ramsey County should support being physically active, but many do not see promoting “active living” of employees as a part of their work responsibilities. • There is limited understanding of “active living” and how strategies can be utilized to infuse it into the work setting. • “Active Living” is a new concept for many RC Managers and Supervisors. • Building technical knowledge and changing attitudes and perceptions will be important for integrating Active Living Principles into the work of County departments as directed.

34. Questions: EXTERNAL What does your work unit do to support active living among clients, customers or citizens? Questions asked about: • Informing about PA Opportunities & Places • Supporting Physical Activity Behaviors • Educating Staff and Service Providers • Collaborating • Designing and Building Infrastructure • Changing Policies, Guidelines or Procedures

35. Ways Ramsey County Serves the Public

36. Findings EXTERNAL Promoting physical activity and active living of clients, customers & citizens Assets & Opportunities Challenges Insights

37. Assets and Opportunities • Encouraging physical activity and providing facilities and infrastructure is core to the work of some departments (e.g. Parks & Recreation, Public Health, Public Works) • 65% of work units have direct contact with Ramsey County citizens as client and customers of their services & programs • 43% of work units could influence other organizations through collaboration

38. Assets and Opportunities • Several managers and supervisors described positive examples of promoting physical activity and active living of clients, customers and citizens • Positive examples cross the whole spectrum • Informing and counseling individuals • Incorporating into programs • Designing and building infrastructure • Changing practices and policies

39. Challenges & BarriersReduce these to enable positive forces • Awareness • Knowledge • Resources

40. Challenges & BarriersReduce these to enable positive forces • Awareness—The majority of managers and supervisors didn’t identify ways they currently are or could impact physical activity of Ramsey County citizens. • Knowledge—Understanding how active living promotion can be infused into the on-going work is lacking. • Current practices and assumptions—Some mentioned rules that undermine supporting physical activity of clients.

41. Awareness & Knowledge—challenges • Many managers and supervisors are not aware of how their work unit could promote active living or physical activity of clients, customers or citizens • Percent that checked doing “nothing”: • Changing policies and procedures (80%) • Educating staff and providers (79%) • Collaboration with others (78%) • Informing about physical activity (72%) • Supporting physical activity behaviors (67%) • Designing and building infrastructure (65%)

42. Informing clients, customers & citizens about Physical Activity Opportunities & Places

43. Supporting Physical Activity Behaviors of clients, customers and citizens

44. Educating Staff and Service Providers of clients, customers and citizens

45. Collaborating to Support Active Living of clients, customers & citizens

46. Designing and Building Infrastructure to Support Active Living

47. Changing Policies, Guidelines or Procedures to Support Active Living