This section contains details of useful publications produced by the BHF and BHFNC to help promote physical activity. It will be updated regularly as new publications become available.

Our publications can be accessed by downloading them in Pdf format, or by telephoning 0870 600 6566 and quoting the reference number. The reference number is given in brackets next to the publication title on this page. Please be aware that all publications and resources are free although some come with a suggested donation. Click on the links below to take you directly to details of a publication.

BHFNC Annual Newsletter

Physical activity and your heart

Get Active!

Put your heart into walking

Kids and schools catalogue

Couch Kids

Get kids on the go

Coronary Heart Disease statistics

Physical activity advice handouts

Physical activity and health toolbox

BHFNC Annual Newsletter - BHFNC Active

The latest version of the Annual Newsletter from the BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health showcases our work across different settings and with a range of population groups; with a particular focus on our work with older adults and young people.

This newsletter also provides physical activity and health practictioners with practical information, for example:

Ideas for getting the workplace more active
Top tips for engaging young people

Download a copy of the newsletter here

Physical Activity and Your Heart, British Heart Foundation (HIS1)

This is one of a range of booklets in the BHF's Heart Information Series which explains different conditions affecting the heart and circulation and is intended for patients, their family and friends to help them understand their illness and be better prepared to control their condition. The booklet explains why physical activity is important for an individuals heart, even if individuals already have CHD; how physical activity affects the heart and suggests the type, frequency and level of physical activity individuals should aim to do. 

To order a hard copy click: Hard Copy

To download the document in pdf. format, click: Pdf

To browse other Heart Information Series publications, visit Other publications

Get Active (G12)

Get Active is a full-colour booklet explaining the benefits of regular exercise and suggesting various suitable activities to help keep the heart strong and healthy. Provides advice on how to get started and where to get more information.

To order a hard copy visit www.bhf.org.uk/publications/description.asp?secondlevel=419&artID=730

To download the document in pdf. format, click on www.bhf.org.uk/publications/uploaded/g12getactive.pdf

Put your Heart into Walking (G26)

Put your Heart into Walking provides information on how to keep hearts healthy and happy by walking for fitness. It includes details of the health benefits of regular walking, tips for including walking into a daily routine and walking schemes such as the British Heart Foundation and the Countryside Agency's Walking the Way to Health Initiative (WHI).

To order a hard copy visit www.bhf.org.uk/publications/description.asp?secondlevel=419&artID=740

Kids' and Schools' catalogue, British Heart Foundation (G66)

The Kids' and Schools' catalogue contains BHF publications designed to encourage young people to adopt heart-friendly habits that will last a lifetime. The catalogue offers materials that contribute to health promotion and science in schools, and helps parents who wish to enhance their children's lifestyles in positive and heart-healthy ways that young people will find creative and fun. The BHFNC resources can also be ordered from this catalogue.

To order the catalogue online, visit
www.bhf.org.uk/publications/description.asp?secondlevel=731&artID=3087

Couch Kids, British Heart Foundation (G243)

Couch Kids , a report outlining current statistics and research on physical activity and young people in the UK, written by the BHFNC for the BHF. It contains evidence of the benefits of physical activity, current activity recommendations, prevalance data on current activity levels, factors associated with physical activity in children and young people, motivation and barriers to activity, information on diet and obesity, sedentary levels and opportunities for children and young people to be active. It also includes policy recommendations to the various agencies that have a part to play in promoting more health-enhancing physical activity for young people.

To download Couch Kids as a pdf. file click on the link below
www.bhf.org.uk/publications/uploaded/4734%20couch%20kids%20final.pdf

Get Kids On The Go, British Heart Foundation (G80)

Get Kids On The Go is a booklet for parents with ideas and useful information to encourage a whole family approach to health-enhancing physical activity. It is available in English and Welsh.

To download Get Kids On The Go as a pdf, click on:
English: .pdf
Welsh: .pdf

To order a hard copy of Get Kids On The Go, visit
English:hard copy
Welsh:hard copy

Coronary Heart Disease Statistics, British Heart Foundation (G30)

The British Heart Foundation publish statistics on the incidence and prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease on an annual basis. The statistics for 2006 highlight that:

• Heart disease and circulatory disease are the UK's biggest killer;
• In the UK, someone has a heart attack every two minutes and almost 2.6 million people have heart and circulatory disease;
• Being physically active lowers the risk of CHD;
• Rates of physical activity in the UK are low: around 70% of adults do less than the recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five times a week.

To download the BHF's coronary heart disease statistics for 2006 please click here:
www.bhf.org.uk/professionals/uploaded/BHF_FINAL_UK_FACTSHEET_02052006.pdf

Physical activity advice handouts, British Heart Foundation National Centre & Sport Ex Health

The BHFNC have worked in collaboration with Sport Ex Health to produce a series of physical activity advice handouts on several leading medical conditions. The handouts are designed to be given to patients by health professionals to provide an information on the benefits of physical activity and offer an individualised approach to encouraging physical activity. There are five handouts in the current BHF series:

Physical activity and high blood pressure

Physical activity for weight loss

Physical activity and diabetes

Physical activity and angina

Physical activity after a heart attack

Click on each of the handouts to order.

Physical Activity and Health Toolbox

The BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health has developed a Physical Activity and Health Toolbox. The toolbox  has been designed to support professionals in making the case for physical activity and health.  It includes a series of evidence-based user friendly  fact sheets and accompanying slides on key issues in sport, physical activity and health which can be adapted for use with different audiences. The fact sheets and accompanying slides can be downloaded from the website and information can be used in whatever format professionals deem appropriate, key facts and figures can be extracted from the different documents and inserted into reports, presentations, letters, briefing documents, etc.

Any information extracted from these documents needs to be fully referenced and needs acknowledgement that the information has been taken from the BHF National Centre’s Physical Activity and Health Toolbox.

If you have any queries about any of the information in the toolbox, please do not hesitate to contact Kim Buxton, email:  K.E.Buxton@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 223267.

In addition to the resources and publications produced by the BHF and BHFNC this section contains details of relevant resources and publications produced by external agencies that are useful to professionals working in physical activity. It is set out with the most recently produced documents first and will also be updated regularly as new resources become available.

Click on each title for further details.

Results of LEAP

The Active People Survey, Sport England

Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure & Sport, ISRM 2005/06

Comprehensive Performance Assessment framework, Audit Commission

National audit of Scotland’s sports facilities

Physical activity and the environment, NICE

Public sports and recreation services, Audit Commission

Get Moving Nottingham, Local Exercise Action Pilot (LEAP)

Promotion of physical activity among adults: Evidence into practice briefing, NICE

Getting on track, Local Government Association

A review of the effectiveness of social marketing of physical activity interventions

Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAP)

Attitudes to walking and cycling, Department for Transport

Choosing Health in the South East: Physical activity

Trees and Woodland: Nature's Health Service, Forestry Commission

Economic Benefits of Accessible Green Spaces for Physical and Mental Health: Scoping study

Health Survey for England 2004

Sport Playing its Part, Sport England

‘Raising the Bar’, Independent Sports Review

Choosing activity: a physical activity action plan

EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

The Effectiveness of Public Health Interventions for Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults: A Review of Reviews

At least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health - A report from the Chief Medical Officer

Securing good health for the whole population: Final report - February 2004

The Active People Survey, Sport England

Background

The Active People Survey was carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Sport England from October 2005-October 2006. In total, 363,724 people aged 16 years and above were interviewed across England by telephone, with a minimum of 1,000 people from each local authority area. The results are therefore thought to be representative of the total adult population in England . Sport England aims to sustain and increase participation in sport and for this to be done successfully, the factors affecting participation must be identified. Identification of these factors was one of the key objectives of the Active People Survey.

The Active People Survey measured;

• The number of days per week that people took part in at least 30minutes of moderate intensity sport and active recreation,
• The proportion of the adult population who volunteer in sport on a weekly basis
• Club membership,
• Involvement in organised sport/competition,
• Receipt of tuition or coaching,
• Overall satisfaction with levels of sporting provision in the local community .

30 minutes moderate intensity sport and active recreation did not take into account activities such as gardening and DIY, but did include a wide range of over 230 sports. The results of the survey reveal a polarised country where deprivation, lack of time and an ageing population impact on people's activity.

Participation results

21% of the adult population are doing regular exercise at least three times per week and 50.6% of the adults surveyed had not done any sport in the previous four week period. Interestingly, although only 21% of the adult population were classified as regular exercisers, 69.5% of adults stated that they were fairly or very satisfied with sports provision in their local area. It was found that regular participation varies across different socio-demographic groups, with; age, gender, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic status all affecting levels of sport participation.

• 23.7% of males compared to 18.3% of females regularly participate in sports and active recreation

• 8.8% of people with a longstanding illness or disability participated in sports and active recreation regularly, this compared to 23.3% of people without.

• Adults of white origin had the highest participation rates at 21.2%. Asians had the lowest rates at 17%.

• Socio-economic group had a profound affect on participation with 16.3% for those in the lowest group and 25.1% for those in the highest. However, some communities are achieving success in spite of deprivation. For example, Knowsley is ranked 352 in terms of deprivation but is ranked 258on its levels of participation. This suggests that a low socio-economic status is not inevitably linked to low participation rates and that investment in physical activity and health can be worthwhile.

• The Survey results showed that people get less active as they get older across England . 33% of people aged 16-24 regularly participate in sport, compared with 20% for those in the age group 45-54 and 12% for those aged 65-74%. Derek Mapp, Chair of Sport England, commented that these changes in activity levels across the lifespan are not necessarily inevitable as this pattern is not evident in Scandinavian countries.

• Sport and active recreation rates were also affected by region . Regular participation ranged from a high of 22.6% in the South East region to a low of 19.3% in the West Midlands .

Sport by sport results

Walking was found to be the most popular recreational activity for people in England . 20% of adults had done a recreational walk for at least 30 minutes in the last 4 weeks at the time of data collection. Swimming came in second and attending the gym 3rd , with 13.8% and 11.6% respectively. Fitness based activities that can be done either alone or in groups dominated, although some traditional sports featured in the top ten. Football had the highest participation rates of the traditional sporting activities, followed by Golf, badminton and tennis. A common feature of the activities that placed highly is that they appeal to both men and women. The popularity of different sports varied according to gender and region. For example, the Survey found that many more women swim than men (17.1% cf 10.3%) and more people participate in tennis in London than in the North East (3% cf 1.2%).

Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure & Sport, ISRM

The results of the latest Department for Culture, Media and Sport with English Heritage, Arts Council England, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Sport England Taking Part Survey were released on the 10th May 2007. Taking Part reports on how people in England are getting involved with sports and culture, by playing sport, visiting national museums and/or stately homes or playing a musical instrument . The survey highlights where more is needed to be done so that everyone is able to enjoy sport, cultural and art activities. The headline results for sports participation are as follows:

•  Sixty-nine percent of all adults participated in an active sport during the past twelve months.

•  Of all adults, the most common type of sport participated in during the past twelve months was indoor swimming and diving (30.9%), followed by health, fitness, gym or conditioning activities (20%).

•  Adults in all age groups had significantly higher rates of participation than each of their elder counterparts. Eighty-nine percent of 16-24 year olds had participated in active sport and recreation in the past 12 months compared to 82.6% of adults aged 25-44 years, 66.4% of those aged 45-64 years, 45.3% of 65-74 year olds and 21.8% of those 75 years and older.

•  Males had significantly higher rates of participation than females.

•  Adults from managerial and professional occupations had significantly higher rates of participation than all other groups.

•  Adults with A-levels or above had significantly higher rates of participation than all other groups.

To access the full document, click here:

To download the Active Sport results, click here:

For further information and to access the full report please visit:
www.isrm.co.uk/enews/enews56/nat_stats.htm

Comprehensive Performance Assessment framework, Audit Commission

Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) is the performance management framework used by the Audit Commission and central Government, to measure local authority performance and drive improvement in the sector. Local government spends approximately £1 billion per year on sport and leisure, which is more than 50% of the total resources available to sport. The new CPA framework includes sports indicators which were developed by Sport England, with the Audit Commission.  The three indicators are:

• Participation – the percentage of adults participating in at least 30 minutes moderate intensity sports and active recreation (including recreational walking) on 3 or more days a week
• Volunteering – percentage of adults volunteering in sport for at least one hour per week
• Choice and opportunity – percentage of the population that are within 20 minutes travel time of a range of different sports facilities, one of which has achieved a quality assured standard
  

For further information please visit:
The Audit Commission
www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/index.asp?/page=index.asp&area=lpcpa

Sport England
www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/local_authorities/comprehensive_performance_assessment-2.htm

National audit of Scotland’s sports facilities

Following a recommendation of the Sport 21 Review Forum, sportscotland commissioned an audit of sports facilities with funding from the Scottish Executive. The main purposes of the audit were to establish the general condition of Scotland’s sports facilities, to estimate where necessary the capital cost of bringing them up to an acceptable standard and to estimate the costs of maintaining them in an acceptable condition. The commissioning of the audit recognised the fundamental role which facilities play in meeting the targets set out in Sport 21, the national strategy for sport. The audit covered over 6000 facilities operated by clubs, schools, further education and commercial sectors as well as by local authorities. The overall picture provided by the audit is one of an ageing stock of sports facilities, yet there are many good examples of high quality facilities throughout the country. The study found that almost 75% of grass pitches need to be replaced or upgraded to bring them up to a reasonable standard. It also recorded that almost half of all indoor sports centres and swimming pools were built in the 1970s and 1980s to design specifications and construction standards which would not now be considered acceptable. Sportscotland highlight how changing patterns in sports participation and rising customer expectations pointed to the need for a new approach to planning and investment in facilities.

For more information visit Sport Scotland

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Physical activity and the environment, NICE

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently working on producing guidanceaimed at professionals working for the Highways
Agency, local authorities, the NHS, education and workplaces to help them meet the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) physical activity recommendations. The primary aim is to recommend environmental interventions that are likely to increase physical activity levels in the general population by:

• incorporating physical activity into every day life
• increasing formal or informal recreational activity (including active play)
• increasing active travel.

The guidance is expected to be released in September 2007.  A draft of the scope is currently available, which defines exactly what this guidance will (and will not) examine, and what the guidance developers will consider.

For more information, and to download the draft scope please visit: www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=PhysicalActivityandEnv 

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Public sports and recreation services, Audit Commission   

The Audit Commission together with Sport England has undertaken a study to examine how local authorities in England are managing their approach to providing their public sports and recreation facilities and their attempts to improve access and value for money. The study involved a survey of all councils in England to which 95 councils responded. Detailed fieldwork in 30 councils was conducted and interviews and focus groups were held with consultants, relevant national organisations and government departments.  The report looks at investment challenges and how councils have decided what the future shape of their sports and recreation facilities should be.

The report provides recommendations for both councils and Government.  These recommendations suggest:

Councils should improve the strategic planning of sports and recreation provision and increase overall efficiency by:

• assessing current and future sports and recreation needs locally and their relationship to regional and national needs;
• collaborating with the private, voluntary, health and education sectors and working across administration boundaries in the planning, procurement and delivery of services;
• appraising the options for delivering sports and recreation services systematically in an open and transparent way and testing the market to ensure that the best value option is identified;
• improving the collection, analysis and use of performance information in order to demonstrate value for money, for example by including financial performance and social outcomes in all contracts.

Government should:

• through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), ensure greater coherence of funding streams and initiatives across government departments that directly or indirectly affect investment in sports and recreation facilities;
• through the Department for Education and Skills, working with partners and councils, ensure that schools seek specialist advice, at an early planning stage, on the design and management of school community sports facilities;
• develop concise guidance and advocate the use of standard contract documentation for the procurement of contracts, building on the Public Private Partnerships Programme (4ps) Leisure Procurement Pack;
• promote the opportunities for councils to work together in strategic partnerships to develop capital development proposals which will be eligible for private finance initiative (PFI) credits and provide the basis of better engagement with the private sector;
• use the Centres of Excellence and their partners as regional advocates of these procurement standards and guidance and for capacity building, advice and training.

To access the report please visit: Audit Commission

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Get Moving Nottingham, Local Exercise Action Pilot (LEAP)

The Local Exercise Action pilot (LEAP) programme is a public health programme funded by the Department of Health, Sport England and the Countryside Agency to evaluate different evidence based ways to increase physical activity levels in the community. There have been 10 Pilots, at least one in each of the 9 English Regions. The projects have been gathering data to help inform the Government and other agencies on positive ways to help get people more active. The data will be used to help influence future policies related to reducing the problem of sedentary lifestyles to more active ones. Get Moving Nottingham has been the LEAP project in the East Midlands. Its aims were to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviour amongst the City's residents aged 50 years and over, particularly those living in the most deprived areas of the City of Nottingham. The project was based around 6 interventions:

• Local Audit, Mapping & Consultation;
• Advertising Campaign;
• Involving People in Physical Activity;
• Senior Peer Mentoring;
• Physical Activity Associate Advisor;
• Physical Activity Advisors.

A full report of the findings from the project are now available. Overall, Get Moving Nottingham has been successful in its goal of increasing physical activity in the over 50 age group and improving the health of many people living in Nottingham. It is envisaged that successful elements of the interventions and learning will be continued beyond the life of LEAP to further integrate health promotion and the prevention of ill health through physical activity into mainstream services.

For more information on the project, and to access the report, visit www.getmovingnottingham.nhs.uk or contact Paul Dodsley, on Paul.dodsley@nottinghamcity-pct.nhs.uk

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Promotion of physical activity among adults: Evidence into practice briefing, NICE

This evidence into practice briefing represents the culmination of work commissioned by the former Health Development Agency (HDA). It presents a series of evidence-based actions for promoting physical activity among adults, which have been formulated through the integration of published scientific literature with practitioner expertise and experience. It is intended for professionals working in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors with roles and responsibilities for physical activity. The briefing includes characteristics of effective programmes for specific settings and population sub-groups, barriers to implementation and suggestions for action for physical activity promotion in the areas of primary care, community interventions and programmes for older people.

To access the document, visit
www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=299207 

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Getting on track, Local Government Association

The Local Government Association (LGA) has produced a document detailing guidance on how local authorities can maximise the benefits of London hosting the Olympic Games in 2012. The LGA have proposed at least five main areas of potential benefit for communities throughout the UK from the Games:

• opportunities for tourism and economic development;
• getting our communities active, healthy and safer;
• community cohesion by developing a feel good factor and enhanced pride;
• create a significant cultural and sporting legacy;
• partnerships with local businesses to enhance investment in sporting and cultural facilities.

The document outlines practical suggestions that local authorities can take in these key areas. The LGA wants to ensure that all local authorities have the opportunities to maximise the full range of benefits that the Games can bring for communities before, during and after the events in all areas of the country. The Association will promote the leadership role that councils can play and will ensure the views and potential contributions of local authorities are regularly fed into the government and into the Games’ organising bodies.

To access the publication, click on
www.lga.gov.uk/Documents/Publication/gettingontrack.pdf

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A review of the effectiveness of social marketing of physical activity interventions

The National Social Marketing Centre for Excellence is working on producing a National Social Marketing Strategy for Health in England. As part of the review they are producing a number of supporting papers and reports in advance of the final report and its recommendations. Where possible the Centre is making these documents available in draft forms to allow people an opportunity to read and feedback any comments. There is currently a review of the effectiveness of social marketing of physical activity interventions available.  They would welcome any comments nsmc@ncc.org.uk.

To access the document please click on the following link
www.nsms.org.uk/images/CoreFiles/01PHYSICAL_ACTIVITY.pdf

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Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAP)

Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAP) were commissioned and managed by the Department of Health, Natural England and Sport England to collect evidence on the effectiveness of physical activity interventions and disseminate the results for effective leaning. The overall aim of LEAP were to encourage people to participate in regular physical activity which meets the Department of Health's recommendations. The findings from LEAP were launched at Emirates Stadium on the 5 th December.

There were 10 pilot sites including:

Ashton, Wigan and Leigh,  Durham Dales,  Dudley , Beacon and Castle, Great Yarmouth, Hastings, Wandsworth, Nottingham City, North Kirklees, Plymouth and  West of Cornwall

Each pilot site targeted priority groups to engage in the physical activity interventions. Priority groups were considered those living in areas of high deprivation and those with low levels of physical activity.

Demographics

A total of 10,433 participants were recorded as attending LEAP interventions. Of these participants 39.9% were not meeting the CMO recommended guidelines for physical activity at the start of the intervention and were classed as either sedentary or lightly active. The interventions attracted a high proportion of over 50 year olds and more women than men, often in a 2:1 ratio. The majority of the LEAP participants were white British (94%) of which 54.9% were in a professional occupation.

Key Findings

•  The median increase across LEAP participants in physical activity equated to approximately 75 minutes of additional brisk walking per week.

•  Participants who were sedentary at baseline (80%) and those who were lightly active at baseline (63%) moved up at least one physical activity category.

•  The impact on physical activity levels of participants who were already moderately or highly active at baseline was not as strong. This indicates that positive change was more likely to occur among those initially demonstrating lower physical activity levels.

•  Participants involved in exercise referral schemes demonstrated a positive intervention effect of +405 METS/week which equates to approximately 135 minutes of additional walking per week.

•  Participants involved in the classes and group interventions demonstrated a negative intervention effect of -36.9 METS/week, although a small positive intervention effect was observed when young people were excluded from the data.

•  Motivational interviewing interventions had a positive effect on participant physical activity levels equating to approximately 120 minutes of additional brisk walking per week.

A summary of the interim findings from the Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAP) programme, jointly funded by the Department of Health, Sport England and the Countryside Agency has been produced. The LEAP projects have been developed to test a range of different evidence based community approaches to increasing the numbers of adults and young people in hard to reach communities who take regular, moderate intensity physical activity and to reducing the numbers of sedentary adults and young people. Based on findings from the interim evaluation of the LEAP projects, a key recommendation is that such organisations, in particular PCTs, should plan to resource and implement physical activity interventions as part of future community wide and targeted preventative health initiatives.

Other key findings include:

 - The majority of people are not currently meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) recommendations of undertaking at least 30 minutes of at least moderate physical activity at least 5 times a week, if health benefits are to be realised;
 - Differences in levels of activity exist between different demographic groups;
 - A large section of the population, in particular those who are sedentary and older people do not intend to take more exercise;
 - Physical activity interventions can successfully attract and engage a range of participants who are sedentary and are from key priority groups;
 - Physical activity interventions can reduce the number of participants who are sedentary or irregularly active and increase the number of people participating in the recommended level of physical activity for health;

The report also makes the following recommendations:

 - Allow sufficient planning and development time;
 - Check the need to obtain ethical clearance;
 - Review the knowledge and skills required at the planning stage and address gaps and weaknesses;
 - Engage and involve participants and community groups;
 - Develop a partnership infrastructure and collaborative working;
 - Have planned exit routes in place for participants at the start of the intervention;
 - Establish how the success of the intervention will be measured at the outset, and identify existing mechanisms or put in place the necessary monitoring and evaluation framework

The results of LEAP can be downloaded here:

The National Evaluation of LEAP has now been published and is available to download here

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Attitudes to walking and cycling, Department for Transport

The Department for Transport (DfT) have published a report which summarises attitudes to walking and cycling in Great Britain. The results have come from questions included (for DfT) in the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) October 2002 Omnibus survey. The key findings revealed that:

• 88% of respondents said they walk for more than 10 minutes at least once a week, whilst 13% said they cycle at all at least once a week.
• 60% said they never cycle and 5% said they never walk, compared with just 3% who never travel by car.
• 38% of respondents did not think that walking is an important form of transport for them.
• 58% of respondents said that they currently use a car to make journeys within walking or cycling distance.
• Over 90% of respondents agreed that people should be encouraged to: walk to help their health; help the environment; and to ease congestion.
• The average satisfaction rating given by respondents for walking conditions was 6.4 out of 10. The equivalent average for cycling conditions was 4.6.
• 17% of people thought walking conditions had improved, compared with 18% who thought things had got worse. 27% of people think cycling conditions have improved over the last two years, compared with 11% who think they have got worse.

The report is available at
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/pdf/dft_transstats_pdf_023228.pdf  

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Choosing Health in the South East: Physical activity

The South East Public Health Observatory has published a report highlighting the lack of physical activity taken by people living in the region. It provides an up-to-date summary of the evidence on how active people are in the region and how this impacts on health.

The key findings of the report include:

• Men in the South East are more active than women in almost all age groups. This is in line with patterns across England as a whole (44% of men and 30% of women aged 16-54, Health Survey for England 2003).
• Obesity in the South East is lower than the national average, but adults in the South East who are less active are more likely to be classed as obese.
• In the South East, young people aged 16-24 years spend around 2-1/2 hours each day on sedentary activities such as watching TV and videos, listening to the radio and music, and reading. This increases to around four hours each day for people aged over 65 years.
• Lower socio-economic groups have lower levels of participation in sport, but higher levels of overall physical activity (probably due to the contribution of activity at work to overall physical activity levels).
• People in the South East travel further on average than people from any other region, at over 8,000 miles per person per year. Most of this difference is accounted for by travel by car.
• More adults cycle (and cycle further) in the South East than in England as a whole.
• Children across the South East travel the longest distance to school of all regions, (1.9 miles for 5-10 year olds and four miles for 11-16 year olds, on average). They are less likely to walk to school than children in England as a whole and more likely to travel by car.

To access the full report, click on
www.sepho.org.uk/Download/qelbowy22axslonodtuzdoai/live/9835/sepho%20physical%20activity%20Jan%2006.pdf

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Trees and Woodland: Nature's Health Service, Forestry Commission

Trees and woodlands: Nature’s health service is aimed at a wide range of health professionals and environmental professionals: both policymakers and practitioners. It provides information and evidence in support of the contribution that woodlands and green spaces can make to improve health and well-being and provides information on research and current practical projects. Key government priorities for health are also outlined with suggestions of how organisations such as the Forestry Commission and other countryside agencies can help people to choose healthier lifestyles. The evidence base is established through a review of past and current research,  describing the ways in which the natural environment can improve people’s health and well-being. The document also contains information on case studies of some of the health projects the Forestry Commission is currently running in partnership with a range of other organisations.

To access ‘Trees and Woodland: Nature's Health Service’, click on
www.forestresearch.gov.uk/pdf/FR_twnhs_book.pdf/$FILE/FR_twnhs_book.pdf

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Economic Benefits of Accessible Green Spaces for Physical and Mental Health: Scoping study

The Forestry Commission has also published a report, Economic Benefits of Accessible Green Spaces for Physical and Mental Health: Scoping study, written by CJC Consulting. It examined the economic benefits, in terms of physical and mental health, of changes in the provision of accessible green space through. The findings revealed that:

• A permanent reduction of 1% unit in the UK sedentary population (from 23% to 22%) is estimated to deliver a social benefit of up to £1.44 billion per year;
• Accessible, attractive green space is associated with autonomous physical activity;
• Green space is most valuable as a physical activity resource where it is used regularly by high volumes of people. It needs to be accessible, attractive, and of sufficient size to facilitate activity;
• Passive use of green space (e.g. visual), low-level physical use (e.g. picnicking and social activities) and intermittent or irregular use i.e. not on a weekly or daily basis, is unlikely to give significant physical benefits. However, this use is associated with psychological and quality of life benefits;
• There is a general lack of information on the long-term benefits of programmes that encourage green space-based physical activity;
• The evidence available on activity programmes that use existing green space indicates the potential for cost-effective health benefits at low cost if running costs are low. Capital expenditure for woodland or other green space--based physical exercise projects is minimal by comparison with gyms and leisure complexes.

To access ‘Economic Benefits of Accessible Green Spaces for Physical and Mental Health: Scoping study’, click on
www.emphasisnetwork.org.uk/emphasison/activity/documents/CrabtreeeconomicsFinalreport.pdf

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Health Survey for England 2004

The results of the Health Survey for England, 2004 have been published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. They show that nearly one in four men and women in England are now obese. For men this is nearly double the proportion reported in 1993 (13.2% rising to 23.6% in 2004). For women the increase is slightly lower (16.4% to 23.8%). The survey also provides detailed insights into health related lifestyles including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and the consumption of fruit and vegetables. It shows that between 1997 and 2004 the numbers of adults taking a minimum of 30 minutes of at least moderate exercise five times a week or more has increased. Men continue to exercise more than women, rising from 32% to 35% for men and 21% to 24% for women. The survey also reports information on Body Mass Index for young people.  Since 1995, mean Body Mass Index (BMI) has increased among boys (from 17.6 to 18.1) and girls (from18.0 to 18.4) aged 2-15. This small rise is an indicator that children in England are on average getting bigger.

For further information, visit
www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hlthsvyeng2004upd

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Sport Playing its Part, Sport England

Sport England has published a series of publications that are intended to give policy makers and practitioners evidence of the benefits that sport can produce. The series, Sport Playing its Part, is made up of four titles:

• Building safe, strong and sustainable communities
• Meeting the needs of children and young people
• Healthier communities
• Economic vitality and workforce development.

It is designed to be used by senior officers and members of local authorities, local strategic partnerships, primary care trusts and other public sector organisations. It includes evidence of the contribution that sport can make to social, economic and environmental outcomes and the shared priorities of local and central government.

The documents and an executive summary are all available to download from
www.sportengland.org/index/news_and_media/news_gs/sport_playing_its_part.htm

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‘Raising the Bar’, Independent Sports Review

The Independent Sports Review is the first comprehensive, independent review of sport in the United Kingdom for over forty years, comprised by a review group of experts and chaired by two former Sports Ministers. Called ‘Raising the Bar’, the report highlights the strong points of sport in the United Kingdom and seeks to build upon the positive steps that have already been taken. It is the culmination of eighteen months research and consultation and has canvassed opinion from over 300 sports bodies, visited eight countries and many thousands of individuals have contributed their own views through this website.
Key findings include recommendations to:

• abolish UK Sport and Sport England and to create a new Sports Foundation in their place as the single organisation for sport,
• create a nationwide programme of exercise referral schemes,
• double the current time for physical education and sport in schools to four hours a week
• provide two free additional hours of after school sport.

For more information and details of how to order a copy of the report, visit
www.independentsportsreview.co.uk

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Choosing activity: a physical activity action plan

This action plan aims to encourage and co-ordinate the action of a range of departments and organisations to promote increased participation in physical activity across England. The document is a summary of how the government will deliver it’s commitments on physical activity presented in the public health white paper Choosing Health: making healthier choices easier.  It brings together all the commitments relating to physical activity in Choosing Health as well as other action to be taken.   The priorities set out in the document include school PE and sport and local action to encourage activity through sport, transport plans, the use of green spaces and the NHS providing advice to individuals on increasing activity through the use of pedometers.

To download the document, visit
www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/57/10/04105710.pdf

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EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

The EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, prepared by the International Obesity Task Force in collaboration with the European Association for the Study of Obesity, has been published.  The purpose of the platform is not only to deepen a common understanding of the challenge that  obesity, inactivety and diet present, but it is also to create a platform for actions which are designed to halt or reverse current trends. The platform has been put together to help people at European level.
 
For further information please visit
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/platform/platform_en.htm#top

To access the document please click on the following link
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/documents/iotf_en.pdf

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The Effectiveness of Public Health Interventions for Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults: A Review of Reviews

In 2005, the Health Development Agency (HDA) published an update of its evidence briefing, The effectiveness of public health interventions for increasing physical activity among adults: a review of reviews. The briefing has been produced by the HDA and its Physical Activity Evidence and Guidance Collaborating Centre.  It is an update of the first version published in February 2004. The briefing will continue to be updated regularly as new evidence becomes available.  The briefings present the current evidence from a number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It aims to identify interventions shown to be effective in increasing physical activity among adults, and is intended to inform policy and decision makers, NHS providers, public health physicians and other public health practitioners in the widest sense.

To access the document please click on the following link
www.hda.nhs.uk/Documents/physical_activity_adults_eb.pdf

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At least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health - A report from the Chief Medical Officer

This report outlines the evidence of the relationship between physical activity and health and gives physical activity recommendations for adults and children in the UK from the Chief Medical Officer. For general health, a total of at least 30 minutes a day of at least moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week reduces the risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease and some cancers, significantly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, and it can also improve psychological well-being. The research demonstrates that the 30 minutes of physical activity necessary for health benefit can be built up in bouts of 10 minutes or more. For example, it can be made up of three 10-minute brisk walks rather than catching the bus for short journeys. The recommendation for adults of at least 30 minutes of activity a day is for general health. However, it is likely that, for many people, 45-60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a day will be needed to prevent obesity. For children and young people, a total of at least 60 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity each day is needed, and at least twice a week this should include activities to improve bone health, muscle strength and flexibility. The document also outlines futures action steps for the Government, regions, the NHS, local authorities & communities, leisure & sports services, schools & colleges, employers & workplaces and parents & families.

To access the document please click on the following link www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/09/81/04080981.pdf

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Securing good health for the whole population: Final report - February 2004

The 2002 report “Securing Our Future Health: Taking A Long-Term View” set out an assessment of the resources required to provide high-quality health services in the future. It was based on first catching up, and then keeping up with other developed countries, which had moved ahead of us over recent decades. That report illustrated the considerable difference in expected cost depending upon how well our health services became more productive and how well people became fully engaged with their own health. Resources were needed not only to satisfy short term objectives, particularly access to service, but also to invest in improving supply, by building the capacity of the workforce, improving information technology support and renewing premises, and to invest in reducing demand by enhancing the promotion of good health and disease prevention. Many of the benefits of engaging people in living healthier lives occur in the long term but there are also immediate and short-term benefits when demand for health services can be reduced, especially in those areas such as acute services where capacity is seriously constrained. This further review has been focused particularly on prevention and the wider determinants of health in England and on the cost-effectiveness of action that can be taken to improve the health of the whole population and to reduce health inequalities. It was asked to consider consistency of current policy with the public health aspects of the “fully engaged” scenario outlined in the 2002 report. The definition of public health for this review has been drawn very widely; essentially it considers public health to be “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations, public and private, communities and individuals.”

To access the document please click on the following link
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4074426&chk=c4gJvj