Moving for Health applied to the health setting
Health centres play a pivotal role in promoting and increasing physical literacy (PL) and health literacy (HL). Through a combination of education, practical support and empowerment, these centres can contribute significantly to personal capacity building, lifelong learning, digital health literacy, social cohesion, and community activation. The overarching goal is to enhance both individual and collective health and well-being, a task that requires a multi-faceted and integrative approach.
By the end of this stop, you will:
- understand the definition of a health setting,
- identify key elements of the MfH model relevant to health centre,
- analyse a case study of successful implementation,
- and access resources for further learning.
Let's embark on this journey to promote health and physical literacy of citizens through movement and physical activity in health centers.
What we mean by health setting
A health setting refers to the place or social context where people engage in daily activities that influence their health and well-being. These settings can vary in terms of the type of care provided, the population served, and the level of complexity.
Health care settings can be categorised based on the level of patient/client care is provided:
- Primary health care level: Focus on health promotion, preventive care including screening, routine check-ups, less complex treatment, rehabilitation and behaviour change counselling provided mostly by community health centers.
- Secondary health care level: Offered by a specialist, generally in hospitals or clinics for patients referred by primary healthcare providers. Secondary health care is needed when a person has an illness or injury that requires specific medical care. Secondary care is often referred to as acute care and includes more specific diagnosis, treatment and management.
- Tertiary health care level: Offer specialised, complex care and rehabilitation for chronic conditions, organ transplants, cancer treatment etc. It is mostly practised in rehabilitation centers.
In each health care settings, healthcare providers, including nurses, physicians, physiotherapists, and other professionals, work together to deliver care that addresses the physical, mental, and social needs of patients or clients.
In the context of the MfH project, the health setting refers only to community health centres on primary health care level.
The health setting can be employed to foster several literacies, supported by examples of good practices from various health and physical literacy initiatives, using different strategies. The approach integrates strategies from individual to collective actions, ensuring the development of PL and HL across different communities.
The promotion and enhancement of PL and HL require a multi-faceted and integrative approach that includes personal capacity building, digital health literacy (within health literacy), lifelong learning, and collective action, social cohesion. By implementing these strategies within the health settings and evaluating their effectiveness, it is possible to enhance individual and collective health and well-being, contributing to healthier and happier individuals and communities and society in general.
Critical elements of the M4H model to focus on in the health setting
We will delve into the key principles and strategies that underpin the MfH model, examining how they can be applied to enhance health outcomes. Understanding these elements will enable you to implement effective health promotion activities and create supportive environments that encourage active lifestyles and well-being.
In summary, when developing a MfH initiative, Healthcare workers must:
- be aware of the elements of the MfH model and understand how they can contribute to them within the health care setting;
- be able to apply these elements individually and collectively in their environment.
A case study of good practice in this setting
Presentation of the good practice:
- Title: Together for Health
- Lead organisation and country: National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
- Context: The beginnings of the Together for Health programme stretch back to the period of development of the CINDI Slovenija programme, whose main emphasis was on preventing and overcoming chronic non-communicable disease. So an universally accessible national programme Together for Health has been in place since 2002, and takes place at general practices and at the health education and health promotion centres located within all 61 of the country’s health centres.
- Brief description: “Together for Health” programme is a comprehensive programme of integrated prevention of chronic diseases available to all adult residents of Slovenia.
The main aims of the programme are:- to reduce the premature deaths, morbidity and disability associated with some of the most common chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, etc.);
- to detect and overcome the behavioural, biological and psychosocial factors that increase the risk of developing a chronic disease;
- to improve mental health;
- to empower people to look after their own health; and
- to improve quality of life.
- Key deliverables and components:
It combines theory and practice and helps with behaviour change habits, also linking health care interventions with sustainable healthy local community activities. The main objective is to empower people to take care of their own health, become more active and to improve the quality of life.
The workshops in the section of “Physical activity to improve/strengthen health” are aimed at anyone looking for expert information on physical activity to support and boost their health, physical fitness tests under professional guidance, as well as those wishing to strengthen and improve their health and well-being through exercise.
Details on the interventions related to physical activity:
- GROUP INTERVENTIONS:
- How fit am I 1? (aerobic endurance test – 6 minute walk test, 2 minute step test)
- How fit am I 2? (physical fitness tests for adults/older people - aerobic endurance test, flexibility, muscular strength, balance)
- Let’s get moving (workshop led by physiotherapists, where people are empowered for active living and independent safe and efficient exercise)
- Healthy measure - (multidisciplinary workshop, where people are empowered to lose weight in a healthy way)
- How much can I still do? Screening for areas of functional weakness (and screening for falls) 30 second sit and stand test, questionnaires)
- INDIVIDUAL APPROACH INTERVENTIONS:
- Individual counselling/measurements
- How much can I still do? (individual screening for functional disability and for falls).
- GROUP INTERVENTIONS:
- Achievement and impact:
This is a unique, more than 20 years old (so sustainable) and well received prevention programme for adults performed in health care recognized by the WHO.
It has shown positive results (the progress is monitored by subjective and objective tools/methods).
Analysis: Elements of the Moving for Health framework that were activated
| Generic principles | Health specific principles |
|---|---|
| Empowerment and Awareness Empowering people for healthy lifestyle, providing knowledge of PL and HL and skills to apply it to different life situations, ensuring long-term support. |
Personal capacity building Empowering individuals with knowledge, skills, and attitudes to manage their own health through educational support. Professionals within workshops can foster a nurturing environment to enhance individuals’ control over their own health, using personalised and collaborative approaches essential for effective self-management. |
| Tailored Approach Ensuring that interventions are relevant and effective by addressing specific needs and motivations - enhancing engagement and long-term impact. |
Health literacy By promoting health literacy during workshops, individual’s knowledge, perceptions and behaviour based on complex interactions about their health and disease are developed. These new skills enable them to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in everyday decision-making processes concerning health promotion, disease prevention, and health care. |
| Cross-sector collaboration Health education and health promotion centres also organize activities in local communities, according to their needs. They collaborate with local organizations with the aim that now empowered participants of the workshops can join other activities after the workshops are over. This collaboration increases the effectiveness and sustainability of the programme and the behaviour change of participants. |
Evaluation and assessment Progress in workshops is monitored by subjective and objective tools/methods that support personal capacity building by enabling self-assessment and improving HL and PL. These tools contribute to evidence-based programming and help ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of each workshop. |
| Lifelong learning By supporting ongoing health promotion and health education, health education and health promotion centres empower patients to stay informed about emerging health recommendations and preventive practices. Workshops promote lifelong learning and long-term support that guides individuals in sustaining healthy and active habits and adapting to new health information. |
Lifelong learning Health education and health promotion centres support lifelong learning, collaborating with educational institutions and other communities to promote and increase PL and HL throughout different life stages. This ultimately fosters resilient communities and empowers them to take better care of their health. |
| Inclusive design Provide movement opportunities for all people and participants to discover, develop, and be accepted for their individual and specific types of movement interests and ability levels. |
Social cohesion Promoting social cohesion within community strengthens the effectiveness of HL and PL initiatives, builds a sense of community, and improves overall societal well-being. |
| Sustainability This preventive programme is active for over 20 years. It’s workshops promote sustainable lifestyle changes and can reduce the need for costly treatments and encourage healthier populations. The changes that people implement in their lifestyle during these workshops can be maintained long-term, benefiting individuals and communities in the long run. |
Physical literacy By promoting PL in workshops we help participants to develop the competence and confidence to engage in diverse physical activities essential for overall health and well-being. |
Key learnings: tips and tricks to facilitate the transfer
Resources to go further & Homework
- Resource to go further: Looking for more inspiration? Discover other selected Moving for Health good practices from the health setting.
- Gamified testing: Can you connect the concepts from the left side with explanations on the right side?
- Reflective exercise:
- Analyse how you could transfer the good practice presented (you can also pick one from the extra resources) in your practice in your context: why and how?
- List the resources you will need, the elements you could keep, the ones you would need to add or adapt/delete, and the stakeholders you need to convince.
