Experts Analyse Likely Impact Of London 2012 Olympics On Physical Activity

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 17 Mar 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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The 2012 Olympics should be promoted as part of a series of "festival events" in order to involve as many people as possible and to leave a lasting legacy, a team of experts from Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent have concluded.

The team analysed the potential impact of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on physical activity, sports participation and health as part of a programme of research commissioned by the Department of Health.

Leading authorities in sport and physical activity carried out a worldwide systematic review of research evidence. Their findings are expected to significantly impact on the implementation of the Government's 2012 Legacy Action Plan which sets out plans to achieve post-Olympic targets in a range of areas.

Key findings include:

1. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has the potential to play a key role in increasing participation and improving health but only as part of wider initiatives and strategies,

2. For current or lapsed sports participants, the Government's Legacy Action Plans needs to capitalise on the 'demonstration effect' (athletes acting as role models to inspire increased sport participation) and boost the local range and availability of new sports activities, particularly the less traditional ones,

3. For the sedentary and least active, informal physical activity participation in the community can be encouraged by capitalising on 'festival events' ie events that do not necessarily involve participation In Olympic and Paralympic sports.

4. Use should be made of the national platform of celebration by promoting locally owned and culturally relevant 2012 'festival effects'. This will develop and maintain the public's positive feeling towards hosting the 2012 Games and tap into the 'once in a lifetime' feel.

5. Legacy efforts must be robustly evaluated and set a benchmark for the evaluation of future Olympic and Paralympic events.

Professor Mike Weed, who headed up the review on behalf of the University's Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR), said: "The findings of this report will help to ensure that initiatives designed to capitalise on the physical activity, sport and health benefits of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are informed by the best available evidence from around the world. The findings show that initiatives need carefully planning and should be tailored for different target groups.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games do not inspire everyone in the same way ��" in fact, what inspires some may have the opposite effect on others. In particular, evidence suggests that elite sport rarely motivates physical activity take-up among non-participants and the least active. For these groups, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games should be promoted as a four year festival of community participation events rather than an elite sport competition."

Dr Rashmi Shukla, The Regional Director for Public Health and Medical Director for the West Midlands "This review clearly sets out the best available international evidence for how we can deliver a true and lasting health and physical activity legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We hope that the report will stimulate discussion, aid decision making, generate ideas and positively challenge partnerships at all levels to maximise the opportunities before us to capitalise on London hosting the 2012 Games."

Notes

1. The work was carried out by the Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR) at Canterbury Christ Church University and commissioned by the Department of Health. The team, led by Professor Mike Weed and Esther Coren, evaluated the evidence base for leveraging physical activity and health legacies from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

2. Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR)

The Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR) is a cross-departmental and cross-faculty research centre at Canterbury Christ Church University that brings together expertise across and outside the university and facilitates collaborative working. In particular, SPEAR brings together expertise in Sports Science, Tourism and Leisure, in Education and Health.

SPEAR conducts theoretically informed critical analyses in sport, physical education, physical activity and leisure. It has funding from a range of public, private and not-for profit organisations which enables it to retain independence from any one funding body or organisation. SPEAR produces outputs that range from theoretical and conceptual academic analyses, through critical commentaries and reflections on current developments, to commissioned research and consultancy, all of which are informed and underpinned by work on the development of effective and efficient methodologies.

SPEAR's strengths lie in three areas:

1. Social and policy aspects of physical education and youth sport;
2. Social scientific investigations of sport and leisure behaviours and policy,
3. The psychological bases for health, exercise and physical activity policy and promotion, particularly in children.

In drawing these three areas together, the work of SPEAR focuses around four overlapping themes: Children, Activity, Policy and Experiences.

3. Strategy context for Developing a Health and Physical Activity Legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Be Active, Be Healthy

The Government's "Be Active, Be Healthy " Plan, in tandem with the Sport England Strategy Grow, Sustain and Excel; 2008 - 2011 sets out the delivery mechanisms to achieve 2 million more adults active by 2012 through sport and physical activity. The Be Active, Be Healthy Plan also sets the targets to;

1. To "Shift the curve" of adult physical activity not simply concentrating upon those on the cusp of "3 x 30 mins"
2. Lift 1 million people out of inactivity by reducing the proportion of the population achieving 30 minutes of continuous physical activity on less than one day per week
3. Help 200,000 more people realise the general health benefits of achieving 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days per week.
4. Increase the average weekly duration of physical activity by approximately 5% over the baseline.

4. The Regional Health and Well Being Strategy

The West Midlands Health & Well Being Strategy" was published in 2008. It identifies the main priorities and actions needed to improve the health and well being of people living in the West Midlands, setting a vision to;

'To maintain, enhance, improve and protect the health and well-being of people in the West Midlands Region and to reduce health inequalities by 2020 within environmental limits, so as not to compromise healthy life for future generations'

The strategy themes relate to the wider determinants of health and well being e.g. Heath and Planning, Health and Culture, Health and the Environment with a number of priorities including;

- - A sustainable region - promote sustainability to maximise the positive impact on people's health;
- Safer communities - reduce violence and create a safer, sustainable community promoting social cohesion and well-being
- Employment and health - improve workplace health and social inclusion in employment to create a more productive workforce and promote greater population well-being
- Children and young people - promote the physical and mental well-being of children and young people
- Later life - improve the healthy life expectancy of older people and reduce inequalities in health by adding years to life, adding life to years and adding dignity to care.
- Securing a health and physical activity legacy from 2012 for the region.

The strategy has the theme of reducing Health inequalities and raising the life expectancy of the most socially disadvantaged running as a thread throughout the document.

One of the aims is to raise physical activity levels across the population with a particular focus on certain groups: families with young children, girls and young women, older people and people with poor health. The recommendation for adults including older people is for them to achieve 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on at least five days per week and for children to be doing 60 minutes seven days per week.

Source
Department of Health, UK

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