Suchergebnisse

Abstract Background This paper provides an historical review of physical activity policy development in Australia for a period spanning a decade since the release of the US Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health in 1996 and including the 2004 WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. Using our definition of ' HARDWIRED ' policy criteria, this Australian review is compared with an international perspective of countries with established national physical activity policies and strategies (New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Scotland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Finland). Methods comprised a literature and policy review, audit of relevant web sites, document searches and surveys of international stakeholders. Results All these selected countries embraced multi-strategic policies and undertook monitoring of physical activity through national surveys. Few committed to policy of more than three years duration and none undertook systematic evaluation of national policy implementation. This Australian review highlights phases of innovation and leadership in physical activity-related policy, as well as periods of stagnation and decline; early efforts were amongst the best in the world but by the mid-point of this review (the year 2000), promising attempts towards development of a national intersectoral policy framework were thwarted by reforms in the Federal Sport and Recreation sector. Several well received reviews of evidence on good practices in physical activity and public health were produced in the period but leadership and resources were lacking to implement the policies and programs indicated. Latterly, widespread publicity and greatly increased public and political interest in chronic disease prevention, (especially in obesity and type 2 diabetes) have dominated the framework within which Australian policy deliberations have occurred. Finally, a national physical activity policy framework for the Health sector emerged, but not as a policy vision that was inclusive of the other essential sectors such as Education, Transport, Urban Planning as well as Sport and Recreation. Conclusion Despite some progression of physical activity policy in the decade since 1995/6, this review found inconsistent policy development, both in Australia and elsewhere. Arguably, Australia has done no worse than other countries, but more effective responses to physical inactivity in populations can be built only on sustainable multi-sectoral public health policy partnerships that are well informed by evidence of effectiveness and good practice. In Australia and elsewhere prerequisites for success are political support, long-term investment and commitment to program implementation and evaluation. An urgent priority is media and political advocacy for physical activity .

There has been limited population-level success in tackling overweight and obesity. The Active Kids program is a universal intervention that aims to increase participation in structured physical activity and sport among children and adolescents in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This study examined the prevalence of overweight and obesity across subgroups and by social disadvantage in this large broadly representative sample. A cross-sectional study was conducted including all children (n = 671,375) who registered for an Active Kids Program voucher in 2018. The child's height and weight were obtained from an online registration form. Among children and adolescents who registered in the Active Kids Program, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.2% and 7.6%, respectively. A large number of children and adolescents who lived in the most disadvantaged areas (n = 99,583; 14.8%) registered for the program. There was a clear socio-economic gradient for obesity prevalence across areas of increasing disadvantage, with children and adolescents living in the most disadvantaged area being 1.87 (95% CIs 1.82, 1.93) times more likely to be overweight or obese. The Active Kids program successfully reached a substantial proportion of children who are overweight and obese from socio-economically disadvantaged areas, providing financial support and opportunities for these children to participate in structured sport and physical activity. However, the program did not reach all children, and additional physical activity promotion strategies may be needed in a comprehensive approach. Nonetheless, these findings support government investment in reaching children who are overweight or obese with large-scale programs.