Health Promotion in PracticeHealth Promotion in Practice

Luke Giles

Assessment 2, part B

Active Over 50

Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service

Health Promotion Unit

Active Over 50Active Over 50

The Active Over 50 program is an initiative to increase the physical activity levels of older adults in the NSW Central Coast community. It is a measure to lower the incidence of falls in this group.

Program overview

The Active Over 50 program operates in fitness centres and community settings around the Central Coast. Fitness instructors provide light group exercise classes to participants, with the aim of increasing strength and balance in order to reduce the risk of falls among the target population. The Central Coast Health Promotion Unit oversees the operation of the project.

Extract of NSCCAHS Action Extract of NSCCAHS Action Plan, January-June 2010Plan, January-June 2010

Goal: To contribute to health improvement amongst older adults on the Central Coast through provision of organised physical activity

Target group: Central Coast residents aged 50 years and over; the local fitness industry and private physical activity providers

Objectives:Objectives:

Maintain the number of attendances at Active Over 50 classes:– Promote Active Over 50 classes through a

range of media– Collaborate with the newly formed exercise

physiologist network to increase referral into Active Over 50 classes

– Explore different models of recruiting new fitness centre providers

Indicators of achievement:Indicators of achievement:

In relation to maintaining the number of attendances at Active Over 50 classes:– Response to media– Number of attendances at Active Over 50

classes tabulated monthly and annually– Number of referrals from exercise physiologists– Type of recruitment models and number of

potential providers

Objectives:Objectives:

Contribute to maintenance of class quality– Provide professional development (CEC

Fitness Australia accredited) workshops for Active Over 50 instructors

– Convene instructor meetings for program feedback and planning

Indicators of achievement:Indicators of achievement:

In relation to contribution towards maintenance of class quality:– The type of workshops provided– The proportion of Active Over 50 instructors at

workshops– Level of instructor satisfaction with workshops– Program feedback used to guide future

planning

Partners of the programPartners of the program

Local fitness industryFitness NSWFitness AustraliaAllied health professionalsLocal mediaNSW Sport and Recreation

Activities of Active Over 50Activities of Active Over 50

Tai chi – ‘Very slow, gentle movements that are excellent for managing arthritis, improving posture and balance, increasing strength, and promoting flexibility’

Ballroom dancing – ‘an enjoyable way to improve stamina, coordination, and balance’

Aqua fitness – ‘Water based exercise conducted in waist to chest deep pools, consisting of simple moves to improve flexibility, stamina, and strength. Aquafitness is excellent for people with circulation problems, arthritis, or are recovering from surgery’

Activities of Active Over 50Activities of Active Over 50

Strength training – ‘a supervised, individually tailored program of weight lifting that starts slowly and gradually builds strength. It is very effective in preserving mobility, managing health conditions and preventing falls’

Gentle exercise – ‘Low impact classes (no running or jumping), that consist of simple movements to improve stamina, flexibility, strength, and balance’

Features of the programFeatures of the program

Medical clearance must be gained by participants prior to commencing the program

Classes are run by trained fitness professionals, who specialise in the provision of activities to older adults

Accreditation is required by trainers, who must update their accreditation bi-annually

Class times are varied, and locations are spread across the geographically-diverse Central Coast. Locations range from Umina in the south to Charmhaven in the north

Ideas about the programIdeas about the program

Length of time that the program has been running indicates its success (operational since 1996)

Referrals from exercise physiologists and GP’s is useful for increasing the reach of the program especially among those who need it most. However, in practice there are not an exceptional number of referrals

Medical clearances required for participation in program is a good measure to prevent overexertion or injury

Program may need some fresh ideas in terms of marketing given that it has been running for such a long time to ensure effectiveness of media campaign

Investigate the viability of including a free pass with the next media campaign – some free passes are distributed already, but not as widespread as would be the case if it was to be included in a media advertisement

Word of mouth vs media advertising appears to swing based on trends of when media campaigns run, how effective they are, and how dramatic any changes to the project are

The provision of different kinds of exercise, across a variety of different location throughout the sprawled-out Central Coast ensures that classes are easily accessible

Some classes may be expensive, given the financial situation of older age groups

StatisticsStatistics

Active Over 50 rationale:

In NSCCAHS, between 2004/05 and 2006/7, there were a total of 22,337 acute care episodes with a Fall diagnosis, for residents aged 65 years and over, 862 of whom died of their injuries – (202 in Gosford, 154 in Wyong, 104 in Warringah, 91 in Hornsby and 66

in Ryde LGAs) 0

5 0

1 0 0

1 5 0

2 0 0

2 5 0

N u m b e r o f fa lls -re la te d d e a th sfro m 2 0 0 4 /0 5 -2 0 0 6 /0 7 a m o n gre s id e n ts a g e d6 5 o r m o re

StatisticsStatistics Active Over 50 participation, 2005

1325 634110158

24610

42434

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

Nu

mb

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f at

ten

dan

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Annual Active Over 50 Attendances 2005

Ballroom Aqua Strength Gentle Exercise Total

StatisticsStatistics

Age distribution of Active Over 50 participants

Current activitiesCurrent activities

Planning of a workshop for fitness instructors to attend to ensure they remain accredited with Fitness Australia.

Workshop to be on the pelvic floor and exercises that can strengthen it

Pauline Chiarelli (Newcastle University lecturer in physiotherapy) to conduct the workshop. She has published books on subject

Organise logistics, inform instructors etc.

Current activitiesCurrent activities

Expand knowledge of projectInject new ideas into project, especially to

media campaign on which I will be workingGain an insight into the other projects

running at the Health Promotion Unit. This will involve attending meetings and workshops that involve other initiatives

Current activitiesCurrent activities

Research the role of sitting time and its impact on chronic illnesses including overweight and obesity, hypertension, and waist measurements

Make links to the amount of sedentary time spent in the commute to work. The Central Coast is located about 1 hour from Sydney. High proportion of population commute to work in the city, and this may have adverse effects especially in terms of amount of time available for PA

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