Zu Fuss gehen und Velofahren tragen viel zu einer gesundheitsfördernden Bewegung bei. Die vielfältigen positiven Gesundheitseffekte regelmässiger Bewegung sind heute umfassend belegt. Ob in der Freizeit oder im Alltag, zu Fuss gehen und Velofahren - so genannte aktive Mobilität - können viel zu einer gesundheitsfördernden Bewegung beitragen. Zahlreiche Faktoren beeinflussen indessen die Neigung, zu Fuss zu gehen oder mit dem Velo zu fahren, darunter Wegeigenschaften, Alter, Fitness, aber auch Verkehrssicherheit und ganz allgemein die Merkmale von Quartieren und Städten. Die veränderbaren strukturellen Faktoren, insbesondere die Verkehrsinfrastruktur und -Sicherheit stehen im Zentrum zeitgemässer Förderung der aktiven Mobilität. Aus Sicht der Gesundheitspolitik ist eine intersektorielle Zusammenarbeit zwischen Gesundheitssektor und Verkehrs- und Städteplanung erstrebenswert. Bei den Überlegungen werden dadurch auch Gesundheitsfolgen fokussiert.
This study aims to present information on the surveillance, policy developments, and implementation of physical activity policies in the 28 European Union (EU) countries. Data was collected on the implementation of the EU Recommendation on health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) across sectors. In line with the monitoring framework proposed in the Recommendation, a questionnaire was designed to capture information on 23 physical activity indicators. Of the 27 EU countries that responded to the survey, 22 have implemented actions on more than 10 indicators, four countries have implemented more than 20 indicators, and one country has fully addressed and implemented all of the 23 indicators of the monitoring framework. The data collected under this HEPA monitoring framework provided, for the first time, an overview of the implementation of HEPA-related policies and actions at the national level throughout the EU. Areas that need more investment are the "Senior Citizens" sector followed by the "Work Environment", and the "Environment, Urban Planning, and Public Safety" sectors. This information also enabled comparison of the state of play of HEPA policy implementation between EU Member States and facilitated the exchange of good practices. ; This study was funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture. We thank the members of the European Union Physical Activity Focal Points Network, set up in the context of the Council of the European Union Recommendation on Health-Enhancing Physical Activity across sectors, for their valuable input, support, and final approval of the information. A yearly report about health-enhancing physical activity by the European Commission, based on the World Health Organization's research, has already been published. Moreover, we would like to thank Eva Martin-Diener (University of Zurich), and Kyle Ferguson and Marie Murphy (University of Ulster) for their work on the country questionnaires.
The importance of setting a policy focus on promoting cycling and walking as sustainable and healthy modes of transport is increasingly recognized. However, to date a science-driven scoring system to assess the policy environment for cycling and walking is lacking. In this study, spreadsheet-based scoring systems for cycling and walking were developed, including six dimensions (cycling/walking culture, social acceptance, perception of traffic safety, advocacy, politics and urban planning). Feasibility was tested using qualitative data from pre-specified sections of semi-standardized interview and workshop reports from a European research project in seven cities, assessed independently by two experts. Disagreements were resolved by discussions of no more than 75 minutes per city. On the dimension "perception of traffic safety", quantitative panel data were used. While the interrater agreement was fair, feasibility was confirmed in general. Validity testing against social norms towards active travel, modal split and network length was encouraging for the policy area of cycling. Rating the policy friendliness for cycling and walking separately was found to be appropriate, as different cities received the highest scores for each. Replicating this approach in a more standardized way would pave the way towards a transparent, evidence-based system for benchmarking policy approaches of cities towards cycling and walking.
The importance of setting a policy focus on promoting cycling and walking as sustainable and healthy modes of transport is increasingly recognized. However, to date a science-driven scoring system to assess the policy environment for cycling and walking is lacking. In this study, spreadsheet-based scoring systems for cycling and walking were developed, including six dimensions (cycling/walking culture, social acceptance, perception of traffic safety, advocacy, politics and urban planning). Feasibility was tested using qualitative data from pre-specified sections of semi-standardized interview and workshop reports from a European research project in seven cities, assessed independently by two experts. Disagreements were resolved by discussions of no more than 75 minutes per city. On the dimension "perception of traffic safety", quantitative panel data were used. While the interrater agreement was fair, feasibility was confirmed in general. Validity testing against social norms towards active travel, modal split and network length was encouraging for the policy area of cycling. Rating the policy friendliness for cycling and walking separately was found to be appropriate, as different cities received the highest scores for each. Replicating this approach in a more standardized way would pave the way towards a transparent, evidence-based system for benchmarking policy approaches of cities towards cycling and walking.
