ROMANIAN FEDERATION SPORT FOR ALL

HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROMOTION IN THE WORK PLACE Promoting Health and well-being in the work place

“PASS” Program for the Active Promotion of Health through Sport In Romania Developed by Aurelia Suciu, Virginia Oprisan - Romanian Sport for All Federation, Bucharest, Romania Promoting the values as well as the individual and social benefits of sports, the Romanian Sport for All Federation has the following objective: - projects and programs that would stimulate and help the population to remain healthy with accessible and affordable means. It has gathered evidence on the major causes of mortality, expenses, the situation of the health system as well as budgets of employers, and their investment in employees health We found 2 groups that should have an active attitude in health promotion: 1) The individual 2)The employer

Why design special programs for employers ? Managers have: - the power to influence, stimulate and convince groups of people (not individuals) to adopt a healthier lifestyle, as well as the means to supervise their commitment to it - the ability to assess directly and immediately - from the costs/benefits perspective - the positive effects of active health promotion Employers should be interested in health promotion because of the: diminishing of health expenses Increase of productivity Improvement of work atmosphere Employee satisfaction and attachment to the work place

What is “PASS”? A know-how package for organizations: implemented under a very convenient costs - benefits ratio: - diminishing of health expenses - increase of productivity - reducing the absenteeism Addressing any employee – irrespective of age Help recruit the work force Assist in changing people's mentality towards themselves Building the organization culture

PASS : components and stages Educational components: sensitizing the employees on the health risk factors, mainly cardiovascular diseases and informing them about PASS Assessment component (primary, periodical and final assessments of the participants): application of questionnaires, conducting measurements and specific tests in order to obtain personalized health/fitness, diagnoses and later on for monitoring the progress and the results Active component: designing, and offering tailored physical activity programs depending on age, gender, physical abilities, training, work characteristics, and preferences

Lay out of the PASS implementation at the University of Constanta, Romania Partners: P.E. Faculty of Constanta Local Sport and Youth Direction Organization size: 9 Faculties 800 staff (600 professors administration) Implemented through 11 volunteers

Stage 1 Launch: Press conference Prom0ti0n: Distribution of 600 leaflets and 150 booklets in the entry of the main buildings 49 entries: 3o women +19 men

Stage 2 Tailored programs: 22 aerobic sessions 10 basketball sessions 3 table tennis programs Evaluation of results: -very poor participation as compared to the effort to promote PASS -unsuitable launch time (close to students exam) -lack of material/psychological motivation of volunteers -gratuity of the offer perceived as non-stimulating, not valuable; -no participation of professors who could have acted as role-models; -too short promotion period - impersonal approach through printed materials

Lay out of the PASS implementation at Bucharest Public Transport Society Partners: BPT Sport Association –they developed and provided us with all statistical data Organization size: employees of which: 4478 drivers 1462 administration and services Preparation: - annual health studies reveal an increase of cardiovascular diseases, stress related illness and respiratory diseases - Situation analyses - Printing of promotional materials

Stage 1 Launch: Internal launch Prom0ti0n: - People to people - Distribution leaflets and posters Entries: 30% of the staff occasionally take part 15% take part in independent physical routines

Stage 2 Tailored programs: Recreation games Sport in gymnasium Sport at work site Evaluation of results: Better communication More structured approach Longer promotion time

BPT Sport Association BPT Sport Association has a sport facility where the program continues The staff takes part in sport programs according to preference There are certain events that happen in order to continue working towards an active, healthy life style such as “The Carrier Day” – a sport event in which they can take part with their family Companies either provide their staff with subscriptions to fitness clubs or they have a gym which the staff can use during their breaks

Conclusions The economic and educational components represent the things that have to be improved on behalf of both the employer and the employee The Sport for All Federation, with its present limited resources, cannot provide for sports education needs at national scale Legislative initiatives taken by the government could enhance the involvement of employers or attract new partners such as trade-unions, local authorities, sport clubs and others.

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