Developing a Social Media Resource to Promote Physical Activity in Teenage Girls

Original Editor - Iain Berry, Catherine Muir, Carol Newlands, Helen Power, Melanie Reis, John Watt as part of the QMU Current and Emerging Roles in Physiotherapy Practice Project

Top Contributors - Melanie Reis, John Watt, Carol Newlands, Helen Power, Iain Berry, Catherine Muir, Kim Jackson, Admin, 127.0.0.1, Michelle Lee and Alicia Fernandes  

Package Aims

This wiki resource is designed primarily for physiotherapists who are actively seeking to increase participation in physical activity through the use of social media. While this resource has focused on promoting physical activity in teenage females and has centred on the social networking site ‘Facebook’, it is hoped that the principles highlighted will be of benefit to any health professional or wider body, seeking to promote health and wellbeing, regardless of the targeted demographic or facet of social media adopted.

The wide ranging physical, social and psychological benefits that can be gained from physical activity are well documented, despite this, participation levels in teenage females remain low. This resource specifically aims to address this issue. Conventional methods of promoting the benefits of physical activity appear to be failing this group, therefore it is believed that the emerging growth in social media can be a useful and productive method of engagement with this demographic.

This resource is not designed to be a ‘how-to-guide’ or ‘blueprint’ to expanding social media, it is however designed to make the user aware of some of the numerous issues that revolve around developing social media as an organic and interactive medium to promote health and wellbeing. It is hoped that this resource will act as a useful tool to the user in developing their own individual resource, as a template for potential in-service education and as a constructive part of the users continuing professional development.

Current Guidelines

In 2011 Start Active, Stay Actice was published in conjunction with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety; The Scottish Government; Welsh Government; and the Department of Health. This UK wide document presents guidelines on the amount, duration, frequency and manner of physical activity required across various age related demographics to achieve general health benefits.

This report from all four Chief Medical Officers across the UK is aimed at a range of organisations (inclusive of, but not limited to the NHS and local authorities) whose intension is to design services to promote physical activity. The document was formulated for policymakers, professionals and practitioners whose aim is to devise and effectuate policies and measures that employs the promotion of physical activity, sport and exercise in order to achieve health gains.

Start Active, Stay Active (2011) highlighted three guidelines specifically aimed at children and young people (5-18 years) irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic background: 

1. All children and young people should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.
2. Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least three days a week.
3. All children and young people should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

Types of activities recommended by Start Active, Stay Active (2011).

References

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