Government Health Organisations
in three areas: Workplace, Community and School
The Healthy Active Australia website provides information and initiatives on healthy eating, regular physical activity and overweight and obesity to assist all Australians to lead healthy and active lives.
The Government is helping all Australians achieve healthier lives through initiatives such as:
· Get set 4 Life - Habits for Healthy Kids
· The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program
· Healthy Spaces and Places
· Learning from Successful Community Obesity Initiative
· Healthy Weight information and resources
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development provides education and development services to children, young people and adults both directly through government schools and indirectly through the regulation and funding of early childhood services, non-government schools and training programs and has 5 main responsibilities:
· provide policy advice to our Ministers about education, early childhood development, children's services, higher education and training in general
· implement Victorian Government policy on early childhood services
· implement Victorian Government policy on school education for all school age students
· implement Victorian Government policy on training and higher education services
· manage and drive continuous improvement in the delivery of primary and secondary education in Victorian government schools.
Ride 2 Work - work place
Ride2Work has a strong influence in the dramatic increase of people choosing to ride to work, with an amazing 47% of new riders registered in 2012 still riding to work when surveyed five months after National Ride2Work Day, and over 10,500 commuters now riding to work more often.
Swap it campaign (Don't stop it) - Community
'Swap It Don't Stop It' is a new phase of the Measure Up campaign. The campaign is focused on promoting the small, everyday changes you can make to get you on your way to a healthier lifestyle without losing all the things you love.
The great thing is, you don't have to stop it, just swap it. Swap inside for outside, or a big meal for a small meal for instance - these small changes can add up and make all the difference. Plus, the best thing is, you can make them as you go about your everyday life - at work, at home or even while out shopping.
http://www.measureup.gov.au/internet/abhi/publishing.nsf/Content/become-a-swapper-lp
National Walk Safely to school day - school
Swap it Campaign
- promotes choosing a healthier lifestyle by 'swapping' parts of your routine to better options without eliminating them e.g. swapping big meals to small, sitting to moving etc
- it is a community based intervention and specifically targets adults who aren't managing a healthy routine / lifestyle.
- Individual:
- Social environment:
- Physical environment:
- Policy:
- Has it used the social-ecological model?
- it hasn't addressed all 4 levels (doesn't address the physical environment in any way) therefore no.
- some of the strategies in other areas are using mass media as a way to communicate with the target audience (e.g. the tv ad which is linked at the bottom of the page). it encourages individuals to make these changes.
- tailoring: the focus is on swapping not stopping which is specifically tailored for adults as they can change small things to healthier alternatives without giving up things they love.
- removing impediments to activity: no impediments are removed as you are swapping things not removing - although the mental barrier that you will be giving up things is removed to focus on the swap it (don't stop it) part of the campaign.
- introducing new resources and facilities: the campaign provides great examples of how to get yourself motivated to swap things in your lifestyle (e.g. healthy recipes, planners etc) although no facilities are provided.
- Sources quote that the initiative has been successful for many people although no statistic have been recorded. The initiative ran from march 2011- 2013
Ride 2 work
- targets all individuals but those specifically who are in the work field
- the main approach of the initiative is to promote physical activity
- Individual - increases motivation, knowledge, positive attitudes towards physical activity by providing individuals on the benefits of 'riding to work' and assisting them on ideas that fit into their lifestyle on how to better their day to day physical activity. The initiative also caters for all levels of experience.
- social environment - you are able to ride to work with a colleagues increase social support and helping to generate new and improve relationships between work colleges.
- policy and organisational- as more individuals ride to work, changes will occur e.g. changing rooms, bike racks etc. it also attempts to change the behaviors of individuals by informing them of the benefits of 'riding or work'.
- the initiative was very successful as currently there are over 10,500 commuters still riding to work due to the promotion of physical activity through the 'Ride2Work campaign"
- not a multifaceted approach as it doesn't cover the physical environment
Walk safely to School Day
- It is a multifaceted approach addresses all level sin the social ecological model (individual, social, physical, environmental and policy and organisational.
- through the use of mass media, it targets individuals (radio, tv) which raises awareness and promotes physical activity among individuals. It also promotes a healthy lifestyle as you are choosing to walk to school rather than get driven
- social environment - considers family and friends as you are walking to school with other people and families. There are also other events (e.g. meetings) which take place to organise the walk to school day, healthy breakfasts etc.
- physical environment - it creates a safe environment for students, and creates also awareness to other members of the community (some driving past etc) that it is a safe school area / zone and caution needs to take place. It also promotes new pedestrian lights / crossings to be put in, in order to improve the environment
- it is aimed specifically at primary school students but in the broader picture their friends and family (the community around them)
- it removes mental and physical barriers in the physical environment e.g. dangerous traffic and creating a safe environment so that children can walk to school.
- In NSW specifically (as it is based there), the Walk Safely to School Day has been successful as a majority of individuals who participated said the initiated worked in that it 'positively influenced children to walk to school in the future'.