Green Prescription clients enjoying a game of badminton.
PICTURE / SUPPLIED
Green Prescription clients enjoying a game of badminton.
PICTURE / SUPPLIED
According to the 2018 Ministry of Health Survey Results the Whanganui community is gaining great benefits from increased physical activity provided by the Whanganui Green Prescription (GRx) programme.
The Sport Whanganui health team has been busy this year connecting with people in the Whanganui, Rangitikei and Ruapehu regions who havebeen issued with a Green Prescription. The process starts with a referral made by local GPs who then refer clients to Sport Whanganui to start their physical activity.
The aim of the GRx programme is to support people to become physically active and improve overall health. Adults are referred to the programme by their local GP if people are inactive or have health concerns and are ready or preparing for change. Children, teenagers and their whanau in need of motivation to be active can be referred to the Active Families programme. The purpose of the Active Families programme is to support families by offering ideas on how to keep active, eat well and make informed choices to grow children into healthy young adults.
The adult referral criteria has now been amended to include pregnant women who wish to maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy and to continue to exercise after pregnancy. The Green Prescription Programme has been in place formore than 20 years and has evolved and become a sustainable intervention for people needing to make a lifestyle change. Sport Whanganui supports people by providing an encouraging, connected, and educative approach to better health through goal setting. Helping to remove barriers to physical activity options has the biggest impact on sustainable change when paired with encouragement and support.
The Ministry of Health surveys our clients every two years to assess nine key performance indicators to ensure we are meeting our goals to help clients improve their health. "I would like to say a huge thank you to the GP practices and health organisations for supporting the GRx programme and helping us achieve our goals," Sport Whanganui Health Manager Deb Byers says. "It has been a rewarding journey and I look forward to what the future will bring."
There is a huge support network for the Green Prescription programme from GPs and other health professionals to advocate physical activity for health. Green Prescription also works alongside other organisations such as Whanganui DHB, Diabetes Whanganui, self-management education programmes, dietitians, Community and Public Health to help manage clients' conditions.
Candace Sixtus of The Whanganui District Health Board is very pleased with the Green Prescription patient survey results. "The results show the Active Families programme aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of participants through increased physical activity and support to make appropriate lifestyle changes is making a difference. Families surveyed reported positive changes as a result of the programme including being more active, improved health outcomes and increased motivation. The family-centred approach also provides an opportunity for the whole family to become involved."
Sport Whanganui looks forward to the future of the Green Prescription programme and Active Families helping more people become more physically active as part of their overall health management.
