Alice RD
Blogging from a conference of the Society of Public Health Educators (SOPHE)
What are Public Health Educators talking about?
As at many health related conferences, the talk is about developing environments in neighborhoods, workplaces and schools to promote good health. That is – encourage more physical activity and access to healthy food. Just about every researcher and practitioner is talking about how to engage the community and neighborhood to help drive these changes. This may seem obvious, but it hasn’t always been done. Read about AICR’s Policy Report Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention, which includes recommendations for government, schools, industry, health professionals and others.
Interesting research tidbit: One of the speakers today mentioned a simple initiative of posting signs and prompts around the workplace to encourage more use of stairs in the building. This has shown moderate effectiveness with anywhere from 2-9% increase in stair use. While not a huge change in behavior, it’s an easy intervention for inspiring some change. And an easy way to incorporate more physical activity – which lowers risk for cancer – into your day.
Do you choose stairs or elevators when given the choice?
