Search

Despite various national and international political initiatives for promoting physical activity at the population level, the development of effective interventions for physical activity promotion remains a challenge. In this context, there is a growing interest in participatory approaches that actively involve central setting actors in the development of specific measures.This article reports on the experience made by the Capital4Health research consortium while using a participatory approach called "cooperative planning" to increase capabilities for physical activity across different age groups.Capital4Health employed the cooperative planning approach in the childcare, school, vocational training (car mechatronics and nursing), and community setting (with a focus on men 50+). While the central elements of the approach were implemented in all settings, planning processes varied significantly with respect to the spectrum of involved actors, the number of participants and sessions, the specific measures developed, the evaluation methods, and the effects achieved at an individual and systems level.From the perspective of the Capital4Health principal investigators, the preliminary empirical results from the different settings allow for the overall conclusion that the cooperative planning approach can work and generate health promotion impact in very different settings. However, it must (and can) be adapted to the respective setting, especially in relation to involving population groups. Actors' readiness for change is crucial, as physical activity does not always have top priority in settings. In this context, key individuals can make a decisive contribution to a project's success.HINTERGRUND: Trotz verschiedener nationaler und internationaler politischer Initiativen zur Steigerung des Bewegungsniveaus in der Bevölkerung bleibt die Erarbeitung effektiver Interventionen zur Bewegungsförderung eine Herausforderung. Dabei rücken zunehmend partizipative Ansätze, die zentrale Gruppen und Organisationen in den Settings aktiv in die Erarbeitung konkreter Maßnahmen einbeziehen, in den Fokus der Betrachtung.Dieser Artikel berichtet über die Erfahrungen des Forschungsverbundes Capital4Health mit der Nutzung des partizipativen Ansatzes der „kooperativen Planung“ bei der Entwicklung von Maßnahmen zur Bewegungsförderung für verschiedene Altersgruppen.Der kooperative Planungsansatz wurde von Capital4Health in den Settings Kindertagesstätte, Schule, berufliche Bildung (Automechatronik und Pflege) sowie Kommunen (mit Fokus auf Männer über 50) umgesetzt. Während die zentralen Elemente des Ansatzes in allen Settings umgesetzt wurden, unterschieden sich die Planungsprozesse teils deutlich bezüglich des Spektrums der einbezogenen Gruppen und Organisationen, Anzahl der Teilnehmenden und Sitzungen, der konkret entwickelten Maßnahmen sowie der Evaluationsmethoden und erzielten Wirkungen auf individueller und systemischer Ebene.In der Zusammenschau der bisherigen empirischen Ergebnisse aus den verschiedenen Settings ergibt sich aus Sicht der Projektverantwortlichen in Capital4Health die Schlussfolgerung, dass der Ansatz der kooperativen Planung in sehr verschiedenen Settings funktioniert und erfolgreich gesundheitsförderliche Wirkungen erzeugen kann. Allerdings muss (und kann) er an das Setting angepasst werden, v. a. bei der Einbeziehung von Bevölkerungsgruppen. Die Änderungsbereitschaft von Gruppen und Organisationen ist entscheidend, da Bewegung in den Settings nicht immer oberste Priorität hat. Einzelne Schlüsselfiguren mit hoher intrinsischer Motivation, sich einzubringen, können in diesem Zusammenhang einen entscheidenden Beitrag zum Projekterfolg leisten.

Always and at any age, regular physical activity can act as a powerful elixir with a beneficial effect on health and well-being. The wide variety of health effects that physical activity can have, for example on our cardiovascular system, back and joints, is scientifically well proven. At the same time, we spend most of our time sitting – at school, at the office or in the car. Our bodies, however, want to be on the move! This fundamental instinct is deeply rooted in human nature and this basic urge to move does not really suit our modern sedentary lifestyle.That is why it is important to know what kind of, and how much, physical activity is most effective in improving the health of which sectors of the population. However, we also need to know the specific ways in which we can most effectively motivate people to become physically active. For the very first time, this publication sets out National Recommendations for Physical Activity and Physical Activity Promotion for the Federal Republic of Germany. The recommendations apply to children and adolescents, adults and older persons as well as to adults with chronic diseases. In their present form, they are geared particularly to experts in different areas and institutions. The recommendations are characterized by their solid scientific grounding. Highly respected scientists from the fields of sports science, sports medicine and public health were involved in drawing them up. As with their creation, the recommendations’ further development and implementation will be accompanied closely by the working group on physical activity promotion in everyday life (“Bewegungsförderung im Alltag”) at the Federal Ministry of Health. This platform provides a forum for numerous organizations involved in health promotion, physical activity and sport in Germany and is part of the National Action Plan “IN FORM – German national initiative to promote healthy diets and physical activity”.