Erasmus plus - Stretching and Strengthening at Work interact

Stretching and Strengthening at Work

Socially disadvantaged groups Other sensible groups, including socially disprivileged populations (e.g. migrants, unemployed), should also be supported to enjoy regular physical activity to advance health. However, these groups face unique challenges to engaging in physical activity, including less access to facilities, a perceptions of lack of safety, less time to engage in recreational activities, lower levels of education (e.g. lack of knowledge about health and health-promoting behaviors), and higher levels of stress (Mendoza-Vasconez and co-workers , 2016). Physical activity interventions that are designed with a broad range of benefits in mind, not just obesity prevention, should be trialed ( Craike and co- workers , 2018). The WHO Regional Office for Europe carried out a project to support and further enhance evidence and networking on guidance on promoting physical activity in socially disadvantaged groups, with a focus on the role of healthy environments (WHO , 2013). Learning how to overcome the challenges of physical activity promotion in socially disadvantaged groups, and how to meet the needs of underserved populations is a necessary first step in achieving health equity through physical activity promotion. Successful strategies to recruit these populations to be physically active may include:  Addressing safety concerns  Building partnerships with community health centers  Using social marketing campaigns  Hiring physical activity promotion staff that reflect the participants’ cultural background

 Facilitating attendance by providing free transportation or coupons  Adapting technological innovations for physical activity promotion  Flexible scheduling

Several patterns are recently reported as effective in promoting physical activity in socially disadvantaged groups ((Craike and co-workers , 2018) ( Figure 27 ). Other factors that were associated with higher effectiveness were the involvement of the community in the design and implementation of interventions; developing community infrastructure (e.g., through sustainable partnerships) to sustain effective interventions; interventions delivered through personal contact; and tailored interventions

Interventions solely targeting physical activity were more e ff ective than interventions that targeted multiple behaviours

Group-based interventions were more effective than indivdiual-based interventions

Intensive interventions were more effective, with frequent facilitator contact tended to be associated with effectiveness

A more intensive phase followed by a less intensive phase was an effective pattern for promotion

Interventions delivered over longer period of time were more effective

Figure 27 | Patterns for an effective promotion of physical activity in socially disadvantaged groups

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