Stephan Siig Hansen
Department in Vejle County, Denmark
Exercise on prescription in Vejle County, Denmark
Background: Extensive research shows us that exercise and physical activity are very effective methods in health promotion as well as in the treatment of a number of different diseases. What research also has shown us is that it is possible to change the participants exercise habits over a short period of time. However, the hard part seems to be how to get the participants to maintain a higher level of physical activity.
The Committee of Health in Vejle County decided on the 18. December 2002 to grant 2.1 mill. DDK (approx. 285.000 Euro) to a project on exercise on prescription. During a period of 3 years, 600 – 700 patients with either Type II diabetes or Hypertension and with a BMI lower 35 get the opportunity to be referred from their general practitioner to an intensive 3 months exercise program.
Purpose: The purpose of the project "Exercise on prescription in Vejle County" is to investigate if engaging the participants' general practitioner (GP) has a positive effect. By getting the GP to prescribe exercise as a treatment, it is hypothesised that the participant will acknowledge physical activity as a treatment for a given disorder. By acknowledging physical activity as a treatment that might even be fun to join, it is our hope that the participants will be more adaptive and therefore maintain a higher level of physical activity a year after joining the project.
