Physical Activity Promotion 1: The Role of National and State Government Organisations

1. Physical Activity Promotion 1:The Role of National and State Government Organisations Unit 3 Area of Study 1 Chapter 3

2. Key Knowledge • The role of government and non-government organisations in promoting adherence to the National Physical Activity Guidelines in schools, workplace and communities, including VicHealth, National Heart Foundation, State and Federal Government departments • A range of individual and population-based Australian physical activity promotion initiatives and strategies.

3. Physical Activity Promotion – Why do it? • As a class, discuss the relevance and importance of physical activity promotion, reflecting on what was learnt last lesson •  Why promote physical activity? •  How could physical activity be promoted? •  Who should it be promoted to? •  What are some potential benefits of promoting PA? •  What are some of the potential barriers of promoting PA?

4. Why it is Important to Promote Active Lifestyles • As a result of social, environmental and lifestyle changes over many years, opportunities to move and expend large amounts of energy as part of a daily routine are becoming limited due to such things as: • Increasing use of technology & labour-saving devices • Increased reliance on motorised transport • Urban planning • Increased working hours • Increased demand on public open space • Increased demands on the education curriculum • Changing leisure patterns

5. Role of Government Organisations in PA Promotion • The Australian Government’s Department for Health and Ageing is responsible for the monitoring and promotion of health behaviours, including physical activity • The Government commits millions of dollars to the establishment of a national monitoring, evaluation and research system to the promotion of physical activity

6. Role of the Heart Foundation in PA Promotion • The Heart Foundation works closely with all levels of government and other health organisations, community groups and the media to promote heart health and implement policies and programs that improve the cardiovascular health of Australians. • This includes preventative programs related to cardiovascular health risks (such as smoking or physical inactivity), and programs catering for patients in recovery from cardiovascular events

7. Role of the Heart Foundation in PA Promotion • The Heart Foundation’s mission is to reduce suffering and death from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease in Australia. • The heart Foundation has an enormous array of programs and resources to promote physical activity and the adherence to physical activity guidelines • Some examples of physical activity promotion through the Heart Foundation include …

8. Promoting awareness of healthy lifestyles via mass-media campaigns • Forming partnerships with government departments to provide advice about physical activity research and the development of guidelines and policies • Educating and informing people by publishing an enormous array of print and web-based information about the benefits of physical activity • Promoting physical activity in schools via Heart Week and programs such as Jump Rope for Heart • Raising funds for heart health research • Coordinating Heart Foundation Walking, Australia’s largest network of community-based walking groups lead by volunteers

9. Group Research Task • In small groups, use the Healthy and Active Australia website (http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/) to research one of the following health promotion strategies: • Getset 4 Life • The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program • The 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey • Healthy Weight • How do you measure up? • Australian Sports Commission Active After-school Communities • Get Moving

10. …Group Research Task • You are to find out the following information for your initiative: • The organisation behind the program • Year of implementation • What type of initiative it is (i.e. TV commercials, policy, print media, numerous types, etc.) • The aim of the initiative • The target population • Any other important information • You are then to summarise the information, filling in the class table on the whiteboard, and copy out the completed table of each groups’ initiative into your books. (Summary table on following slide)

11. Summary Table for Group Research Task

12. Multi-Media Physical Activity Campaigns • Watch the following short clips as a class, and discuss after each, the target audience; what you think about the particular approach taken; pro’s & con’s, etc. • Get Moving Campaign (Aus - Kids) http://youtu.be/JPQjLeeooKo • Find 30 (Aus – Adults) http://youtu.be/xzEiHLUnjtU • Life. Be in it. (Aus - 1980’s - jingle) http://youtu.be/LQ5KC1s3YZo • Swap it, don’t stop it (Aus – current) http://youtu.be/FG8IAxHqtFo • Get Active Campaign(Soccer – Europe)http://youtu.be/AY5AILaXDdA • Move Your Body (USA – Beyonce – NABEF – ‘Let’s Move! Flash Workout’) http://youtu.be/mYP4MgxDV2U

13. Be Active AustraliaA framework for Health Sector Action for Physical Activity 2005-2010 • The Strategic Inter-Governmental Forum on Physical Activity and Health (SIGPAH -1999) of the National Public Health Partnership (NPHP -2004) developed the Be Active Australia framework.

14. Be Active Australia… • Figure 1 showed the overarching strategies for achieving long-term and sustainable physical activity improvements within various settings • The Be Active Australia framework specifically focuses on population groups most at risk of being insufficiently active for health, including: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders • People who are culturally and linguistically diverse • People with a disability or chronic condition • People who are geographically isolated

15. Be Active Australia… • The following figure shows a summary of the BAA framework, including the strategic focus and identified action areas

16. State Government Initiatives • State governments also have important roles to play in the promotion of physical activity by funding research, mass-media campaigns and local initiatives within a range of settings • Victorian government departments (including the Department of Health, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) in partnership with other organisations (such as Bicycle Victoria, VicHealth, Kinect Australia, Diabetes Australia, Cancer Council, and universities) fund a broad range of health initiatives and educational programs designed to promote physical activity.

17. VicHealth • The Victorian health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) is a statutory authority which fosters change in the social, cultural and physical environments that influence the health of all Victorians • VicHealth provides support across a wide range of health areas, including physical activity, mental health and wellbeing, tobacco control, healthy eating, alcohol misuse and health inequalities.

18. The Role of VicHealth in Promoting Physical Activity • Promotes physical activity by providing an array of information via print and web-based media • Promotes strategies for increasing participation by funding sporting clubs so that they can buy equipment and train coaches and staff • Tackles inequalities in sport and active recreation by supporting community organisations that conduct programs for disadvantaged or at-risk youth and groups with limited access to PA and sporting opportunities • Provides funding in the form of scholarships and grants for individuals and clubs

19. VicHealth Supported Initiatives

20. Other State Government Initiatives • A few examples of major initiatives supported by the State Government in Victoria include: • Go for your life • (Promotes active living, walking, active recreation, sport) • Kids – Go for your life • (School and community programs) • Walktober • Walking School Bus