National and Regional Award Recipient Atlantic 4 the Health of It Annapolis Valley District Health Authority

Transcription

1 National and Regional Award Recipient Atlantic 4 the Health of It Annapolis Valley District Health Authority There is abundant evidence that chronic disease can be prevented or delayed with lifestyle modification including diet, physical activity, and modest weight reduction. Unfortunately, many people who have, or are at high risk of, developing a chronic disease are not managing these modifiable risk factors for various reasons (e.g., lack knowledge and skills, financial strain, etc.). 4 the Health of It is an 8-week chronic disease prevention program that focuses on four critical aspects of health: healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, and active participation in one s health. This cost effective program is facilitated by health professionals, including a dietitian, physiotherapist, psychologist, nurse practitioner/physician and pharmacist. Each of the eight weekly sessions provides opportunities for experiential learning through cooking classes and exercise modules. This program was developed for individuals at high risk for, or in early stages of chronic disease and provides them with the knowledge and skills required to make lifestyle choices that may reduce their risk of developing a chronic disease and/or related complications. Partners: The development, implementation, and evaluation of the 4 the Health of It Program was guided by the expertise of several key partners: The Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia, Cardiovascular Health Nova Scotia, Kids Action Group, Acadia University Department of Kinesiology, and the Behaviour Change Institute Capital District Health Authority. The development and initial implementation of this program was funded through a Public Health Agency of Canada grant of $70,000. Moving forward, this program will be funded through Annapolis Valley District Health Authority as part of their Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Strategy at a cost of $5,000 - $7,000 per year depending on the number of programs offered. Result: Evaluations were given to the participants from the first round of 4 the Health of It, and 100% of respondents reported that they would recommend this program to others, 88% said that they had become more physically active, 91% indicated that they now eat a healthier diet, and 94% are confident that they can maintain these changes into the future. Contact: Deidre Burns dburns@avdha.nshealth.ca Phone:

2 Regional Award Recipient British Columbia Seasons 4 Change Vancouver Native Health Society Aboriginal and non-aboriginal Peoples living with diabetes and at high risk for diabetes face multiple health challenges including increased risk for disease-related complications and barriers to accessing culturally appropriate care and support. Seasons 4 Change is a 12-week program seeking to improve the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples with diabetes, in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. The program is held in a local park every Wednesday afternoon and is open to 20 participants each season. All participants are also invited to attend a weekly drop-in traditional medicine group as part of Seasons 4 Change. This group promotes health and healing through Aboriginal cultural healing practices and a nutritious lunch using traditional foods is prepared and served each week. The program is run by dietitians, nurses, two program assistants, a Resident Elder and trained peer coaches who themselves have been diagnosed with diabetes. Each meeting starts with a sharing circle followed by a peer-led workshop on a topic such as healthy eating, physical activity, reading labels, stress management and foot care. Participants are supported to identify a personal health goal and create a personal action plan for the upcoming week. Partners: Seasons 4 Change works collaboratively with a number of partners to ensure that the program delivers clear and credible healthy living information. Some key partners include: University of Victoria Centre on Aging, Fresh Choice Community Kitchens, Canadian Diabetes Association, Downtown Eastside Community Kitchen (DECK), British Columbia Institute of Technology Nursing Program and a wide variety of other organizations provide in-kind meeting space, staff training, materials, utilities and equipment. Seasons 4 Change has been successful in reaching a significant portion of its target audience. In season one and two, 39 participants consented to the program. Currently, 15 participants are enrolled in season three. The effectiveness of the project has been evaluated using a combination of pre-post surveys that measured healthy behaviours, diabetes self-efficacy, treatment literacy, anxiety/depression, overall well-being and community engagement; pre-post semi-structured interviews and focus groups; and clinical data. Preliminary analyses of season one and two data demonstrate that the program is effective in decreasing blood pressure, HbA1c and LDL, and increasing physical activity, diabetes self-efficacy, treatment literacy, overall well-being and community engagement. Contact: Rebecca Dunham selfmanagement.vnhs@gmail.com Phone:

3 Regional Award Recipient Alberta and the Territories ActiveAte Calgary Be Fit For Life Centre Inactivity and obesity rates are on the rise in Canada. Canadian children are not getting enough physical activity or proper nutrition to sustain healthy growth and development. These children not only need help to be active but they also need help building positive self esteem, knowledge and confidence to enable them to make healthy choices part of their current and future lifestyles. ActiveAte was developed as a four-week program running twice per week for children aged Each twohour lesson includes one hour of education and discussion on healthy eating and physical activity and is followed by one hour of physical activity in a fun, non-intimidating environment. A resource and training guide allows teachers and educators in the community to implement the after school program. The resource contains eight educational and active lesson plans, stretching cards for all major muscle groups, 15 Energizer cards, and a full version of a popular Be Fit For Life game. Partners: ActiveAte was developed based on TrymGym for youth which is a long-standing program created by experts at the University of Calgary. The Be Fit For Life Team worked together with the University of Calgary to develop the resource and partnered with the Catholic and Public School boards to implement the program within schools. Be Fit For Life reported changes in behaviour, intentions of change and increased knowledge. In addition, 80% of participants rated the program with the highest choice available for enjoyment, 75% of youth felt that the ActiveAte program has and will help them be more active, 70% of youth felt the program has and will help them be more active more days per week, 63% felt that the program has and will encourage them to be more active during the hours of 4pm and 6pm, and 79% felt that the program has and will encourage them to eat healthier. With the development of this resource, Be Fit For Life Centres have been able to expand the program to reach all of Alberta with the ActiveAte Program. The Activate Program and training has been made available across the province via the Be Fit For Life Network. Contact: Leah Bell blbell@ucalgary.ca Phone:

4 Regional Award Recipient Saskatchewan, Manitoba & North Werstern Ontario The Healthier Weigh Program Reh-Fit Centre With obesity on the rise, a realistic approach to creating long-term behaviour changes in a supportive environment is needed. Many individuals are intimidated by a fitness facility and/or stuck in a chain of yo-yo dieting. These individuals are in need of support and ongoing coaching to encourage and empower them to make positive lifestyle changes. The Healthier Weigh is a lifestyle intervention program for obese adults and is offered three to four times per year to a class of about 12 participants. The program is offered by the Reh-Fit Centre, a medical fitness facility that offers expert guidance and education on exercise, nutrition, and other aspects of healthy living from qualified staff. A series of weekly education and exercise classes provide participants with information and tools to determine their personal food management and activity plans. With group support and ongoing coaching by their team of professionals, the goal of the program is to encourage and empower participants to make positive lifestyle changes that result in sustainable and permanent habits. The program is funded through individual participation fees but financial assistance is available to those who are unable to afford the cost of participation. The program wraps up with a pot luck dinner planned by the participants using the skills that they learned and developed. Partnerships: The Healthier Weigh started in 2007 with initial start up funding from Sunlife Financial. The program is offered by the Reh-Fit Centre, a medical fitness centre that offers a qualified and credentialed staff including physicians, nurses, laboratory staff, physiotherapists, dietitians, and fitness professionals. The Healthier Weigh has a completion rate of 75%. Over the duration of the 16-week program, average weight loss has been 7.5kg, Body Mass Index average improvement has been 2.12, and waist girth measurements have average a decrease of 6.18cm. Participants have also seen improvements in cardiovascular fitness and have reported increased energy, better sleep, and a general feeling of well-being. Contact: Jocelyn Mitchell and Averill Stephenson Jocelyn.mitchell@reh-fit.com, averill.stephenson@reh-fit.com Phone: or

5 Regional Award Recipient Central & Southern Ontario Healthy Eating for Life South Riverdale Community Health Centre Chronic disease greatly impacts Chinese immigrants because of the perception of having to give up or modify cultural food choices. Engaging in physical activities in Canada also seems challenging for some Chinese immigrants because of the language barrier, service access, time constraints and their beliefs in how to live actively. The Healthy Eating for Life project enables the Chinese immigrant population to eliminate system wide barriers to accessing healthcare resources that are ethnically and culturally appropriate. The project involves healthy recipe development, implementation and dissemination via social media, in community programming and through cultural events. Between June and December 2009, sixty recipes under six major themes - heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, bone health, family and geriatric nutrition were developed and published in The Gourmet Guide, Sing Tao Daily Newspaper (Chinese daily affiliated with the Toronto Star). Each recipe was accompanied by nutrient analysis and healthy living messages from dietitians and published bilingually in Chinese and English to reach the larger community. During workshops, participants had opportunities to partake in muscle and bone strengthening exercises that were facilitated by a physiotherapist, certified personal trainers or chiropractic interns. Healthy eating messages, virtual shop smart tours and cooking together components were integrated into the workshops as well. Partnerships: The Healthy Eating for Life initiative is the first of its kind in this region. A collaborative effort among six nonprofit organizations dedicated to promoting health and well-being including, Heart and Stroke Foundations of Ontario, Canadian Diabetes Association, Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association, Kidney Foundation Canada, South Riverdale Community Health Centre, and Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care. Financial contributions came from Focus Communications Inc., Singtao Daily Chinese Newspaper, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) TV, AM1540 (A1 Chinese Radio), five consulting dietitians, and volunteers. The healthy recipes developed through the initiative have been widely used in over 60 community workshops and events and have reached over 1500 clients, who reported that this initiative has changed the perception and culture of food and illness in the Chinese community. Sixty recipes were posted on the South Riverdale Community Health Centre website and since December 2010, it has had over 600 visits and downloads of the recipes. In addition, the recipes were also used in a traditional Chinese restaurant during a March 2010 Chinese Banquet in Ottawa, with over 200 attendees. The recipes received an impressive score from those responding to a survey and marked another milestone for the project. Contact: Annie Chung-Hui, RD annie.hui@sympatico.ca Phone: x 245

6 Regional Award Recipient Quebec, Northeast and Eastern Ontario Ma santé au sommet (My health at its height) Université de Montréal, HEC Montréal, École Polytechnique de Montréal The staff and students of the Université de Montréal are already conscious of the importance of healthy living however, they do not always put it into action. Students are confronted with a new reality as they acquire their independence, encounter a significant academic and professional workload, and develop a lifestyle that may persist for the rest of their lives. The university campus should provide easily accessible solutions that would allow both staff and students to make healthy lifestyle choices. Ma santé au sommet s (MSS) mission is to contribute to the physical, psychological and social wellness of the campus community. The MSS program was created by the managers of the Université de Montréal s sports and physical education centre (CEPSUM), who wanted to integrate physical activity into the daily routine of the people on campus. The program aims to facilitate the adoption and maintenance of a healthy way of life, encouraging individuals to improve their lifestyle through physical activity, healthy eating habits, and psychological and sexual health and by decreasing their use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs and medications. The MSS program creates health communication campaigns, encourages the development of favorable healthy living environments, and offers student training courses research projects and work/study programs all in an effort to promote healthy living habits on campus. Partners : Ma santé au sommet works closely with the Departments of Nutrition and of Kinesiology, Student Services and CEPSUM to ensure they are providing credible information regarding healthy life habits. In addition, the program evaluates its tools and actions by canvassing students and employees in their work groups and via surveys to ensure that the information is being clearly understood by and specific to the community. The dedicated and innovative work of Ma santé au sommet has led to positive results by creating incentives and environments that encourage a healthy way of life. Ma santé au sommet preceded its 2007 launch with a wide-ranging study that surveyed 10,500 staff and students on their actual living habits. The data collected allowed the program to better adapt its activities to the reality of its target audience, and to better ensure its effectiveness. Some examples of the results of a campaign held in January 2010: 5,479 tools were downloaded or distributed; the educational video was viewed 2,100 times; 1,565 health resolutions were made by students and employees; 514 student and employees met with MSS workers to better define their health resolution; and a post-campaign survey indicated a recall rate of 22% for the campaign. Furthermore, 54% of the targeted population visited the website. Contact: Tina Tran and Guylaine Rivard mat.tran@umontreal.ca, guylaine.rivard@umontreal.ca Phone: x.4899