Description
Por UN millÓn DE PASOs - “PUMP” is a programme aimed to fight the sedentary lifestyle habits by means of promoting a group physical activity (walks) with a specific, measurable goal (to achieve 1 million steps). Any institution, group or association of individuals can participate provided that they register at the official platform of the project (however, population groups with certain specific profiles are taken into special consideration; for example: groups of people with CVD risks factors, sedentary groups, underprivileged people, people with disabilities or mentally ill, the elder). Thus, they accept the challenge “would you be able to achieve a million steps in a month with the steps contributed by all the individual participants?”. The goal is to accumulate, in a series of group-walks in a month, the number of steps aimed, by the contribution of all the participants.
The practice is aligning Public Health Institutions (such as Health Care Centres), Educational Institutions (such as schools), Municipalities (Community involvement) and even the Private Sector (health department of companies etc.). The Regional Ministry of Health provides the pedometers and any professional support needed. Its implementation is, in practice, extremely inexpensive – the cost of a pedometer for each group who registers. Health promotion technicians in each Health District throughout Andalusia consider providing support on the PUMP practice as one of their tasks, relevant for each District’s annual objectives. The intervention is part of the Andalusian Plan for the Promotion of Physical Activity and Balanced Diets (“PAFAE”) and is closely linked to several Comprehensive Health Promotion Action Plans in the Government of Andalusia, such as the Comprehensive Action Plan on Diabetes and the Child Obesity Comprehensive Action Plan (“PIOBIN”). Above all, it is also fully aligned with the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.
Results and impact
Each year, at the local level, nearly 150 municipalities and 100 associations participate, signifying more than 23000 individuals (almost 600 million steps altogether!). The fact that many groups repeat participating in the practice is also an indirect indicator of satisfaction with it. Attested by the lofty number of “steps” achieved and also the high number of people participating every year, one can easily assume that (at the very least) the promotion of physical activity was successfully accomplished. Its strong social component is an asset that enhances community involvement and social support. The programme may also easily encompass other health promotion activities. Due to the extremely inexpensive nature of the intervention, its continuation is well assured and even new modalities of the practice are arising.
The practice have been awarded with a National Health System Good Practice Recognition (Spanish Ministry of Health, 2015), a prize in the Andalusian Health Programs Competition (2010) and in the NAOS Contest (Spanish strategy for nutrition, physical activity and prevention of obesity, 2010).
Type of activity
Programmes promoting activity
Physical actives in natural and cultural ecosystems
Place: Andalusia, Spain
Territorial level: Regional
Organizer: Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health
Source: http://chrodis.eu | www.juntadeandalucia.es