This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Pedometer pilot encourages small steps approach
13/03/2006
A primary care pedometer scheme has demonstrated that preventing obesity and improving health can be achieved by small changes in lifestyle.
The pilot - co-ordinated by voluntary organisation Paths to Health - is aimed at increasing walking levels in 'hard to reach' groups including working age men and people from deprived communities. It has been running in the NHS Board areas of Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and Arran, and Lothian.
At the start of National Obesity Awareness Week, Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald commended the work and announced continued funding support for Paths to Health of £530,000 for 2006-07.
He said:
"The scale of the obesity problem is well known - one in five 11 to 12 year olds in Scotland is obese and nearly two thirds of adults are overweight. Obesity can contribute to poor health and is linked to increases in diseases like diabetes. This is a burden on individuals and the NHS, which could be avoided.
"But many of the ways for individuals to avoid becoming overweight are simple - increasing your level of physical activity, and being sensible about what you eat and drink.
"Walking is a great example of this, as the pedometer pilot clearly shows. Both the participants who were 'prescribed' the pack and health professionals saw clear benefits in the walking programme.
"Indeed, if every adult who is currently inactive were to do 30 minutes of brisk walking a day, they would reduce their risk of heart disease by half, stroke by a third and diabetes by a third. And they could reduce their body weight by walking off as much as one stone a year.
"We have a clear strategy for health improvement focused on physical activity and healthy eating. But all of us as individuals need to take personal responsibility for our health - we can all choose to change."
Kenny Steele, Paths to Health project manager, said:
"Telling people they should walk is one thing - but giving them the support and motivation to do more is another.
"Paths to Health local schemes provide the social support and confidence to help people walk more. It is also where our pedometer pack has proven a great success. It gives health professionals a tool to use to help discuss physical activity targets and provides a great motivator to encourage people to walk more."
The Pedometer Loan Pack Pilot project has been operating in 21 primary health care sites in three health board areas. Health professionals at each site were recruited to identify target patients and issue them with a pack containing a pedometer, educational materials and a daily step-count record card. 335 participants then undertook a 12-week pedometer based walking programme.
The pilot has been evaluated by Strathclyde University as a useful resource for communicating the health benefits of increasing physical activity, with nearly all health professionals commenting that they would use the resource again.
Participants 'prescribed' the pedometer were very positive about its use in increasing their awareness of the health benefits of walking and in motivating them to walk more. Paths to Health are currently reviewing the evaluation and plan to extend the pilot to other healthcare settings in the next year.
Paths to Health was established as a five-year project in September 2001. The project now co-ordinates over 90 local walking schemes, each built up in partnership with local communities.
Executive action to promote healthy eating and improve physical activity includes:
- Hungry for Success: a whole-school approach to healthy school meals
- Improving the supply and provision of healthier food choices in neighbourhood shops, particularly in deprived areas
- Active Schools programme: more opportunities for physical activity in and around schools with 600 Active School Co-ordinators recruited
- Support for the Dance in Schools Initiative
- Supporting Paths to Health