In this assignment I want to talk about how we, as physical therapists, can use the potential of nearby natural environments to promote physical activity and public health. The picture above shows a small part of a large park area around Holmendammen in Oslo, only a short walk from my own apartment. Here you can find several paths for walking/running/cycling, a football field, a pond for swimming and fishing, and a “Tuftepark” with exercise equipment. The park is free of charge and is available for all kinds of people, and the paths can also be used by those who have a disability and are in need of using wheelchairs in their daily lives. This is only one of many examples of a natural environment in Oslo where they have seen the potential of the greenspace close to a neighborhood and built it out, so that the people who live there can engage in different types of physical activities in their leisure time. From my point of view, exploiting the potential of the local areas and facilitating physical activity for the citizens can have a lot of benefits for many of our future patients, both in terms of rehabilitation and prevention. From a patients point of view I think that the threshold for participating in physical activity could be lowered compared to exercising at a fitness center, this because of the accessibility, the financial perspective and the fact that fewer people are most likely to be present. Many patients may not want or like to train at a fitness center, because they may feel pressure from being around a large group of people or that the membership is too expensive (as they often can be here in Norway). In the built-out park areas there are a wide range of activities one can perform and that can be adapted to their preferences and into their daily lives. This was also shown in the results of a study on Norwegian adults and exercise in natural environments, where the informants said that the most important motives for exercising outside was that they had the possibility to be self-regulating regarding to exercise intensity according to personal preferences and comfort (Calogiuri, G., & Elliott, L. R., 2017).
The Norwegian welfare state is based on social democratic principles, and is characterized by universal welfare rights, which means that everyone has equal rights to welfare benefits. This includes public health services and education. All working residents in Norway pay taxes to the state, which helps fund the welfare state (Store Norske Leksikon, 2018). The Norwegian government is responsible for providing health care to the population, and the goal is that all residents should have equal access to health care regardless of age, race, gender, income, or area of residence (The Commonwealth Fund, 2019). In 2012 the Public Health Act was introduced, and it’s purpose was to contribute to community development that promotes public health and prevents disease. It aims to equalize differences in health issues in the population, and to create environmental conditions that contributes to promote public health (Lovdata, 2011). The municipalities is responsible for organizing primary, preventive, and nursing care. They often cooperate with the counties to decide on public health initiatives or campaigns which aims to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce social health disparities. The Public Health Act is closely connected to the Planning and Building Act, which states that each municipality is responsible for urban planning and developing greenspaces for physical activity, among other things (Lovdata, 2010). These are two important acts to promote public health in the local societies and make it easier for the residents to engage in physical activity. Some studies has also shown that closeness and accesibility to greenspaces in the local community has been shown to have a positive effect on human health (Wilhelmsen, C. K., Skalleberg, K., Raanaas, R. K., Tveite, H., & Aamodt, G., 2017)
According to the Norwegian Directorate of Health, physical activity has several health benefits and it can contribute to prevent and treat various diseases (Helsedirektoratet, 2016). Being able to exercise in natural and easy accesible environments may positively affect public health in the long term, as more people can engage in physical activity because of the low threshold and the opportunity to explore activities that suits the individuals preferences. By introducing the patients to these natural arenas for physical activity, they might find ways to enjoy physical activity. This may increase the chances of them performing physical activity on a regular basis, and gain both physical and psychological health benefits by adapting physical acitivity into their lifestyle.
Although, it’s important to remember that there may be some personal barriers that prevent alot of people from engaging in physical activity. An individual’s characteristic way of thinking, feeling and behaving are associated with greater involvement in physical activity (Sutin et al., 2016). Neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openess and agreeableness are the personal traits that define the Five Factor Model of personality, and these traits are closely linked to the individual’s level of physical activity. For example, those who have a high tendency to experience negative emotions and stress (neuroticism) tend to avoid physical activity, and individuals who have a high tendency to experience positive emotions and be outgoing (extraversion) and high tendency to be organized and disciplined (conscientiousness) tend to engage more in physical activity.
I think that we as physiotherapists need to be aware of these barriers, and help each individual to find strategies that can help them “tear” these barriers down and give them the chance to take advantage of the many health benefits that comes with physical activity. I think we contribute to help those who struggle and increase the chances of them being physical active on a regular basis. For example by being encouraging and supportive, we can contribute to increase their self-confidence and thereby help them dare to explore the opportunities in natural environments, among other arenas.
References;
Calogiuri, G., & Elliott, L. R. (2017). Why Do People Exercise in Natural Environments? Norwegian Adults’ Motives for Nature-, Gym-, and Sports-Based Exercise. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(4), 377. doi:10.3390/ijerph14040377
Christensen, Johan & Berg, Ole T.. (2018, 2.november). Velferdsstat. I Store norske leksikon. From;
https://snl.no/velferdsstat
Helsedirektoratet (2016, 1.juni). Anbefalinger for fysisk aktivitet. From; https://helsedirektoratet.no/folkehelse/fysisk-aktivitet/anbefalinger-fysisk-aktivitet
Lovdata (2011, 24.juni). Lov om folkehelsearbeid (Folkehelseloven). From;
https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2011-06-24-29
Lovdata (2010, 1.juni). Lov om planlegging og byggesaksbehandling (plan- og bygningsloven). From;
https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2008-06-27-71
The Commonwealth Fund (2019). International Health Care System Profiles, From; https://international.commonwealthfund.org/countries/norway
Sutin, A. R., Stephan, Y., Luchetti, M., Artese, A., Oshio, A., & Terracciano, A. (2016). The Five-Factor Model of Personality and Physical Inactivity: A Meta-Analysis of 16 Samples. Journal of research in personality, 63, 22–28. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2016.05.001
Wilhelmsen, C. K., Skalleberg, K., Raanaas, R. K., Tveite, H., & Aamodt, G. (2017). Associations between green area in school neighbourhoods and overweight and obesity among Norwegian adolescents. Preventive medicine reports, 7, 99–105. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.05.020
One thought on “Liaskar, Bjørnar; “Exploiting the potential of natural environments to promote public health””
Hi Bjørnar
I like the topic that you have chosen, your text and picture links nicely with each other. It is so true that the environments that we live in are sources that we can use to improve our health. It is as if mother nature is trying to assist with our well-being.
Have you considered including more about how patient personalities might come into play, like being introverted and shy perhaps… How would exploiting the natural environment for physical benefits impact their character? How could it strengthen their way of interacting with not only the environment but also people? Could it be too overwhelming for people to get out of their comfort zone and interact with their environment to benefit them physically? And also have you thought of people who live in environments that are not safe? This could be a contributing factor to them not making use of the environment.
I know this assignment is more about physical therapy and it’s benefits, but as I have mentioned in my own assignment… Mental health and how people feel can impact physical health.
I overall cannot find any fault with your assignment, it is very well written, you have used good references that support your text. The environment is something I am now more aware of and definitely something I will use and recommend people use. Our environment is free and open to anyone, so if we set our minds to wanting to improve physically and using all aspects of life available to us we can improve. I also think there is no reason for people to say they do not have resources, because our environment is the biggest one.