FINAL REPORT 2000-2001 January 2000 July 2001 EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH-ENHANCING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Tampere, Finland 2001
Contents Summary 1. Project outline 2. Administration of and co-operation in the project 3. Evaluation and results of the joint project 4. Policy development 4.1 European Workshop for the development and design of national policies and strategies 4.2 Second European Conference for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity 4.3 Provision of assistance in national policy and strategy development 5. Europe on the Move! information network 6. Walking promotion 2
Summary 1. Almost all network member countries have progressed in their efforts to promote HEPA nationally. To foster this development, the network has produced guidelines for the development of national HEPA policies in Europe. In addition, the network effectively promoted and disseminated its two earlier publications, Guidelines for National Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Promotion Programmes and Promotion of Transport Walking and Cycling in Europe: Strategy Directions. 2. The Second European Conference on the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity was organised in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 22-24 October. The conference brought together almost 250 delegates from all over Europe. The Conference also attracted extensive media coverage during the two days. One important outcome of the conference was the partnership established between the Healthy Cities MCAP and the HEPA Network. 3. Europe on the Move! information network produced three newsletters and revised and expanded its database report. In addition, the information on projects and HEPA-related activities on the website has been complemented with policy information. 4. The Walk for Health project promoted its www-guidebook A Way of Healthy Walking and also produced hard copies of the publication. The project also carried out a follow-up survey of the walking programmes in Europe. 3
1. PROJECT OUTLINE The European Network for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (the HEPA Network) continues the efforts made in physical activity promotion since 1996. The general aim of the network is to promote the health and well-being of the European citizens through the development of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) policy. The specific aims are: (1) to encourage and facilitate the development of national HEPA promotion policies and programmes in the network member states, (2) to strengthen the European networking of national HEPA policy and programme developers, (3) to promote efficient information exchange among the European HEPA experts and professionals (4) to develop policies and good practices of promoting widely applicable forms of physical activities, e.g. transport walking and cycling 2. ADMINISTRATION OF AND CO-OPERATION IN THE PROJECT The UKK Institute has acted as the coordinating organization for the project. It has worked in close contact with the two partners Netherlands Olympic Committee*Netherlands Sports Confederation and Finnish Rheumatism Association. It has distributed funds received from the European Commission to the partners in accordance with the agreements. The three lead partners have had one meeting, on 17-18 June, which discussed network coordination and organisation of the Second European Conference for the Promotion of Health- Enhancing Physical Activity. Each of the 21 network member countries has continued to have a national contact person who has acted as a focal point for policy development in the country. The project has followed the budget frame of the contract between the European Commission and the UKK Institute. 3. EVALUATION AND RESULTS OF THE JOINT PROJECT During the five years of the network s activities, substantial progress has been made in HEPA policy and programme development. In 1996, when the network was established, there was a national programme in three countries, but no national policies. Now, at the end of June, national strategy or policy is being actively developed in eight countries. One new national programme has been set up and one is being developed. National programmes focusing on HEPA in general or on walking continue in eight countries. In addition, there are numerous other activities related to HEPA promotion, such as campaigns or research. Some of the network member countries are not currently planning on creating national programmes or policies. In most of these countries, however, physical activity plays an important role in health promotion and disease prevention. This manifests as local or regional physical activity projects or other measures aimed at promoting active lifestyles. Thus it can be safely said that physical activity has secured its place on the public health agenda of the majority of the network member countries. To further facilitate HEPA policy and programme development, the network set out to produce a guide for HEPA policy development. To this end, the network organised a strategy workshop in Tampere, Finland, in September 2000. Altogether 25 physical activity experts and researchers from 4
16 European countries participated. This ensures that the guidebook will be widely applicable in Europe. The guidebook is available as a www-guide on the UKK Institute s website (www.ukkinstituutti.fi) The network has also devoted a lot of time to disseminating and promoting its publications Guidelines for Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Promotion Programmes and Promotion of Transport Walking and Cycling in Europe: Strategy Directions. Both documents have been presented in the network s newsletter and on its website and in numerous conferences. The documents have also been made available on the websites of four other organisations. The Second European Conference on the Promotion of HEPA was organised in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 22-24 October. The conference addressed the promotion of physical activity and the development of policies and partnerships from many different angles. The extensive media coverage that the conference attracted during the two days has most likely helped to raise the awareness of the general public of the significance and potential of physical activity to health in the UK. Thus the conference gave valuable support to the promotion of active lifestyles in Europe. In addition, it offered opportunities for physical activity promoters to make new contacts and create networks. According to the evaluation forms, delegates were most satisfied with the both the quality and content of the conference and the presentations. The Europe on the Move! Information network continued as an open forum for information exchange. The number of its membership continued to increase, amounting to 195 in June. The network has produced three newsletters. In addition, it has published and disseminated a revised and expanded database report which, in addition to providing information on members and their projects, now also includes information on policies and HEPA indicators. The information network has also assisted member countries in HEPA programme development. The Walk for Health project continued to promote walking in Europe. It focused its efforts on promoting and disseminating the guidebook A Way of Healthy Walking. In addition to making the guide available on the Internet, the project also produced hard copies of it. The guidebook has been warmly welcomed: in June, the site had been visited altogether 2648 times. The guidebook also received a citation award in the evaluation of the Finnish Centre for Health Promotion. The project carried out a follow-up survey of walking programmes in Europe. The results show that the end of 1990s has seen a rapid increase in the number of walking programmes. In 2000, altogether 22 walking programmes were being conducted in 12 countries. In 1994, there were three walking programmes in two countries. 4. POLICY DEVELOPMENT 4.1 European Workshop for the development of national policies and strategies 5
The European Workshop took place on 15-17 September in Tampere, Finland. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss and further develop the draft guidelines produced by the rapporteur, Mr Hans Hagendoorn, former President and current Advisor of the Netherlands Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. The workshop brought together 25 physical activity experts and researchers from 16 European countries. The three days included both plenary sessions and group work. During group work the participants produced case studied and examples of good practice for successful national policy development. Mr Hagendoorn completed the final version of the guidelines on the basis of the workshop results. The final version was discussed and approved by the HEPA Network s national contact persons in the business meeting organised during the Second European Conference for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity, which took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 22-24 October 2000. The guidelines will be available as a www-document at the UKK Institute s website. 4.2. Second European Conference for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity The conference Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) and Active Living for You and Your Community took place at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland on 22-24 October 2000. It was organised by The European Network for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (The HEPA Network), Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland, the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, and the Belfast Healthy Cities and Belfast City Council in collaboration with the World Health Organization s Healthy Cities Action Plan on Active Living (MCAP). Conference preparations started in March 2000 when Irish partners came to Finland for a two-day planning meeting. First announcements were circulated in May, second announcements in August. The conference programme was also discussed in the project meeting that took place in Amsterdam on 16-18 June 2000. The Conference objectives were: To explore issues influencing policy development and implementation at international, national and local levels. To identify methods of developing and implementing policies and partnerships between Agencies, Government departments and community organisations. To share experiences and ideas in relation to HEPA and Active Living policy, partnerships and practice. The conference brought together almost 250 delegates from all over Europe. Participants included health and exercise professionals, voluntary, community and local authority personnel, educationalists and policy makers involved in HEPA and Active Living at international, national and local levels. The conference attracted extensive media coverage throughout the two days. Presenters were drawn from the international authorities of health promotion, HEPA and Healthy Cities. Delegates had an opportunity to hear presentations on a number of themes including: Networking and Partnerships; Developing European Activities; Targeting Social Need; 6
Walking, Cycling and the Environment; The Health Impact of Physical Activity. On the final day delegates were able to choose from a wide variety of best practice sessions including: Active Living Programmes and Projects; Networking and Multi-agency approaches to physical activity; Physical activity and Public Health Benefits; Promoting Physical Activity in a Range of Environments. One important outcome of the conference was the partnership established between the Healthy Cities MCAP and the HEPA Network. The two networks agreed on continuing their collaboration in the future as well. In the evaluation, delegates ratings of the conference contents and presentations varied between good and excellent. Conference recommendations and speakers abstracts and PowerPoint presentations were available on the Agency s website at: http://www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk until January 2001. 4.3 Provision of assistance for national policy and strategy development To facilitate national HEPA policy and programme development, Network representatives have made consultation visits to Belgium, Norway, Slovenia and Spain and provided assistance and ideas on how to develop national strategies or programmes. The two publications Guidelines for Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Promotion Programmes and Promotion of Transport Walking and Cycling in Europe: Strategy Directions have been widely circulated. Copies of both documents have been sent to partners, national contact persons, European Commission DG for Health and Consumer Affairs and the DG for Environment, European Commission Health Promotion Networks and the European Heart Network, WHO Headquarters and WHO Euro, International College of Sport Science and Physical Education, International Union of Health Promotion and Education, European College of Sport Science. In addition, the publications have been promoted through the Network s website and Newsletter. They have also been promoted at numerous international conferences both in Europe and on other continents. In addition to the HEPA Network s website, the two publications are available on the websites of the UKK Institute (www.ukkinstituutti.fi), the Network HEPA Switzerland (www.hepa.ch), and Sätt Sverige i rörelse (Sweden on the Move! (www.wochb.se/arvinius/2001). Status of HEPA policy development HEPA policy and programme development has been monitored through follow-ups with national contact persons. The responses show that progress is taking place in almost all countries. This 7
favourable development can be attributed to the efforts made by the HEPA network and its 21 national contact persons. Following is a short description of the developments that have taken place in HEPA promotion in the year 2000 and during the first part of 2001. More details and background information can be found in the enclosed Europe on the Move! database report, Part I: Country Information. Austria While there is no national HEPA programme in Austria, many regional programmes and other HEPA activities are being conducted by the Austrian Sports Federation, partners supported by governmental funds, the Austrian Medical Chamber and the Austrian Pharmaceutic Chamber. Physical activity is also a major topic in many prevention activities Belgium A symposium organised by the HEPA expert committee and Belgian Cancer Federation drafted a position statement and recommendations on HEPA. In addition, the members of the HEPA expert Committee have met with the Minister of Health and proposed that concrete action be taken to promote HEPA at the federal level. The Minister of Health has promised to give the matter further consideration. In the Flemish community, Policy Research Centre for Physical Activity will be established. It will be responsible for developing scientifically based policies with regard to sport, physical activity and health. Denmark In Denmark, the Minister of Health has created a Forum for Physical Activity. The forum, consisting of 10 experts, is to develop a plan for initiatives to promote HEPA. Finland In Finland, recommendations for the local promotion of HEPA were published in 2000. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health established a National HEPA Committee, which will propose a national HEPA strategy in autumn 2001. The second 5-year phase of the national Fit for Life programme has been running since 2000. France The French Federation for Physical Activity and Health (FFEPGV) has entered in collaboration with eight other physical activity organisations. Together, they have elaborated an action plan (2001-2005) for the development of national HEPA promotion policy. The action plan includes establishing a national HEPA Network. Iceland In Iceland, a draft governmental Health Plan (2000-2010) includes a goal for increasing the physical activity levels of Icelandic people. The Sports for All sector of the National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland has already agreed on measures aimed at achieving this goal. Furthermore, the project Health Promotion in Schools, launched by governmental education and health authorities at the beginning of 2000 also includes physical activity. 8
Ireland Physical activity is one of the main topics of Ireland s National Health Promotion Strategy. Physical activity also features in the national campaign Building Healthier Hearts, launchedinseptember 2000. The mass media campaign Ireland needs a Change of Heart, launched in May 2001, has physical activity as the key theme. The Netherlands The national programme Netherlands on the Move! continues. Norway The National Council on Nutrition and Physical Activity, established in 1999, has produced recommendations for physical activity and health. There are recommendations separately for physical activity among adults and for physical activity among children, adolescents, older people and pregnant women. Slovenia Slovenia has initiated the development of a national HEPA strategy by organising two preparatory meetings and a planning workshop under the leadership of the Slovenian Ministry of Health and the Cindi Slovenia and with the consultative aid of the HEPA Network. An international HEPA conference entitled Health Promotion Through Physical Activity and Nutrition will be organised in autumn 2001 with the financial support of the European Union. Spain In Spain, the development of the national strategy continues. The Ministry of Health is preparing recommendations to increase HEPA among young people. In addition, alliances are being formed to promote HEPA. Sweden Sweden has a physical activity programme called Sweden on the Move!. Year 2001 is a physical activity year in Sweden. The main aim is to get the most inactive groups on the move. Measeurs are implemented on four arenas: work place, health care, leisure and schools. United Kingdom England The Department of Health is preparing a new physical activity strategy. The Secretary of State for Health has recently launched the National Quality Assurance Framework for Exercise Referral Systems. The document is intended to raise standards and improve the quality of local exercise referral schemes. Northern Ireland The national physical activity campaign Get a Life Get Active continues. 9
5. EUROPE ON THE MOVE! INFORMATION NETWORK Europe on the Move! information network is part of the European Network for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity. It aims to facilitate the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity. through co-operation and exchange of knowledge based on research and experience in HEPA promotion. Website The website (http://www.europe-on-the-move.nl) presents the aims and activities of the HEPA Network. In 2000-2001, the country information on the website has been updated with policy information. Database and database report In June 2001, the network database counted 195 members from the 15 EU member states and other European countries. The database report was drawn up in two parts. Part I : Country Information describes national HEPA policies and HEPA indicators in each country. Part II: Member Information presents the members of the information network and their programmes. The database report was disseminated in July 2000. Newsletter Europe on the Move! The Europe on the Move! newsletter informs about the progress of the network, about possibilities for collaboration and dissemination of information and experiences to other EU member and nonmember states. In addition to the members, the newsletter has been sent to other interested persons, organisations and networks (in total to over 800). In 2000, the newsletter was distributed in March and July, December 2000 edition was disseminated in January. Edition June 2001 is finalised and will be disseminated in July 2001. Meetings, conferences and presentations Europe on the Move! information network has assisted HEPA policy and programme development in Belgium and Spain. Information network participated in the preparation of the Second European Conference for the Promotion of HEPA. Representatives of the network also gave presentations in the conference. 10
6. WALKING PROMOTION The www-guide A Way of Healthy Walking. A Guidebook for Health Promotion Practice (www.reumaliitto.fi/walking-guide) was published at the beginning of the year 2000. In autumn 2000, the guidebook was also published in hard copy. The guidebook discusses the effects of walking on health and fitness. It also gives guidance for planning and implementing walking programmes. The guide was cited by the Finnish Centre for Health Promotion for being among the best health education materials in Finland in 2000. The guide was written by Timo Ståhl, Researcher, University of Jyväskylä, Finland and Dr Raija Laukkanen, Research Manager, Polar Electro, Finland. The guidebook has been disseminated to the national contact persons of the HEPA Network and to members of the Europe on the Move! information network. It has been promoted through the Network s website and at international conferences (Second European Conference for the Promotion of HEPA, Belfast, Northern Ireland and Third Worldwide Conference of Arthritis and Rheumatism Patient Societies, Ljubljana, Slovenia). At the end of May, the www-guide had been visited 2540 times. In autumn 2000, a follow-up survey was made to ascertain the prevalence of walking programmes in Europe. The questionnaire was sent to one hundred organisations in 21 network member countries. The information obtained through the survey complemented the information received from the first survey of 1999. The results show that the number of walking programmes has increased, especially at the end of 1990s. In 1994 there were three walking programmes in Finland and Germany; in 2000 altogether 22 walking programmes were being conducted in 12 countries. The survey results were presented in the Second European Conference for the Promotion of HEPA which was held on 22-24 October in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Tampere, 15 August 2001 Ilkka Vuori Manager, European Network for the Promotion of Health-enhancing Physical Activity 11
This report was produced by a contractor for Health & Consumer Protection Directorate General and represents the views of the contractor or author. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and do not necessarily represent the view of the Commission or the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.