Malta represented by Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate (HPDP) is participating in the Joint Action Health4EUKids project. The overall goal of this project is to implement two best practices Grunau Moves established in Germany and Smart Family established in Finland in different member states. The implementation process will include the knowledge transfer between best practice owners (Smart Family and Grunau Moves) and partner organisations from the Member States through the implementation of actions, the cooperation and exchange of knowledge between member states, the organisation of meetings, and related technical support. Malta is implementing Grunau Moves.
The scope of the project will be to promote to participating member states healthy lifestyles in families with children to prevent childhood obesity, to increase physical activity and healthy diet in children, families and communities with a focus on social norms, recognition and self-esteem. Also, to study the different prerequisites for member states to implement either Grunau Moves or Smart Family. Finally, to prepare the sustainability of these best practices and transfer to other member states based on the acquired knowledge and experience. The expected results focus on the identification of concrete challenges in the prevention of non-communicable diseases and policy solutions in the form of best practices and innovative solutions for collective action between the Member States and the Commission, to tackle the main public health challenges.
Grunau Moves targets children (4-12) and their environmental and living conditions and related actors, for the reduction of health inequalities. It aims at creating health promoting settings, environments to promote physical activity and healthy diet in children and families. Both best practices are community-based health promotion and obesity prevention programmes for children and adolescents.
The main objectives are:
• Creating health promoting settings (childcare, schools) via increasing awareness, knowledge and skills, professional self-esteem, cooperation between local actors
• Creating environments to promote physical activity and health via advocacy and persuasion of policy makers – changes in street design, youth welfare planning
• Increasing physical activity and healthy diet in children and families with a focus on social norms, recognition and self-esteem.
Website
https://www.dypede.gr/health4eukids/
A focus group was carried out with different stakeholders representing different entities present in Hamrun. The Healthy Living tool was used to assess the current situation and what can be improved to lessen the obesity problem among children aged 4-12 years residing in Hamrun.
