This is how conservative care can improve public health – Sundsvalls Tidning

Swedish children and Young people today sit still for nine to ten hours a day – and we adults, unfortunately, are not much better off. In Västernorrland County, 21 percent of all adults sit for more than ten hours of their waking hours each day, according to statistics from Public Health Authority. We have never moved so small as now.

At the same time, we know that physical activity has a powerful positive impact on mental and physical health. A large study recently showed that 10,000 steps per day reduced the risk of dementia by 50 percent. The risk of suffering or dying from cancer decreased by 70 percent, while the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease decreased by up to 80 percent.

We can be healthier and live longer if we move more. Swedish healthcare plays an important role in this work and is increasingly investing in the prevention of ill health. More than half of the country’s districts are working through targeted health screenings and subsequent health talks. Scientific evaluations from Västerbotten, Jönköping, and Sollentuna, for example, show that it works.

Sweden was one One of the first countries in the world to use prescription physical activity. The method means that the recipient receives support from a physician, nurse, or other licensed health care professional to find physical activity that matches the individual’s needs, circumstances, and desires. Research shows that prescription physical activity works. However, the method is still underutilized and Report from the Public Health Agency He explains that there are also significant regional differences in how much it is used.

So we’re welcome government investment On a new national system, knowledge support and compensation for areas that prescribe prescription physical activity. One Sifo investigation that we have done It shows that eight out of ten Swedes would prefer physical activity to prescriptions rather than regular medications if the effect is the same. There is great potential here for health care to better prevent and treat our major public health problems.

Here are some Suggestions for how care can contribute to increased physical activity:

■ Make encouragement and support for increased physical activity an important part of health conversations.

■ Make it easier for physicians and other healthcare professionals to prescribe physical activity.

■ Educate all health care workers about the importance of movement and how prescription physical activity can contribute to a healthier population.

My Lys Helenius, Professor at the Karolinska Institutet and Secretary of the Committee for the Promotion of Increased Physical Activity

bear nelson, Chairman of the Committee for Encouraging Increased Physical Activity and Dean of the School of Gymnastics and Sports (GIH)

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