The global burden of disease due to mental disorders continues to rise, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In addition to causing a large proportion of morbidity, mental disorders – especially severe mental disorders (SMD) – are linked with poorer health outcomes and increase
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d mortality. SMD are defined as a group of conditions that include moderate to severe depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. People with SMD have a two to three times higher average mortality compared to the general population, which translates to a 10-20 year reduction in life expectancy. While people with SMD do have higher rates of death due to unnatural causes (accidents, homicide, or suicide) than the general population, the
majority of deaths amongst people with SMD are attributable to physical health conditions, both
non-communicable and communicable.
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The document provides information on physical activity (benefits, types, intensities etc.) in a descriptive way.
The World Health Organization's fact sheet on physical activity emphasizes its critical role in maintaining health and well-being. It outlines the benefits of regular
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physical activity, such as reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers. The document provides specific recommendations for different age groups, detailing the amount and intensity of physical activity needed to achieve health benefits. It also addresses the global prevalence of physical inactivity, highlighting the need for policies and interventions to promote active lifestyles.
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The article explores the underlying factors influencing unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles among adolescents in Kilifi County, Kenya. Using a qualitative approach, the study involved interviews and focus group discussions with adolescents, stakeholders, and young adults. Key findings include a
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preference for unhealthy, carbohydrate-rich, and sugary foods over traditional and nutritious options, exacerbated by factors like low socioeconomic status, urbanization, and poor farming practices.
Sedentary behavior, such as gambling and extensive technology use, was prevalent, often replacing physical activity. Protective factors like school attendance, community-based services, and parental engagement were identified as mitigating risks. The study highlights the importance of ecological intervention strategies targeting intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors to address unhealthy behaviors and promote better health outcomes in adolescents.
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The video titled "Guidelines for Physical Activity" provides an overview of government recommendations for maintaining an active lifestyle. It outlines the recommended amount of
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physical activity and suggests various types of exercises to help individuals achieve these goals. The guidelines aim to promote overall health and well-being through regular physical activity.
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The video titled "Physical Activity and Chronic Disease Prevention" emphasizes the importance of regular physical
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activity in reducing the risk of chronic diseases. It discusses how engaging in consistent exercise can help prevent conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The video also provides practical tips for incorporating physical activity into daily routines to enhance overall health and well-being.
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This guidance document addresses how physical distancing (referred to in previous guidance documents as ‘social distancing’) can help slow down transmission.
The publication conveys the most recent quantitative surveillance results focusing on noncommunicable disease (NCDs)-related risk behaviours among adults from the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS) and tobacco use among adults from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in
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Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region. This publication contains selected indicators relating to tobacco use and other related risk behaviours of adults in Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region. The tobacco indicators are taken from GATS or STEPS and other indicators relating to risk behaviours (history– dietary behaviours, physical activity, alcohol use, cervical cancer screening; physical measurements – body mass index, blood pressure, waist circumference; biochemical measurements – fasting blood glucose level, blood glucose level 2 hours after glucose load, total blood cholesterol, urine sodium and urine creatinine) are taken from STEPS. The latest findings from surveys conducted in Member States are presented in the publication.
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Pocket guide to show the positive impact that physical activity can have on your own mental wellbeing, including some tips and suggestions to help you get started.
There are many reasons why
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physical activity is good for your body having a healthy heart and improving your joints and bones are just two, but did you know that physical activity is also beneficial for your mental health and wellbeing
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This ACTIVE toolkit provides evidence-based guidance on the key approaches to promote and enable older people to be physically active, regardless of who they are, where they live, or their intrinsic capacities (for example their visual or cognitive abilities) or whether they live with chronic condit
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ions (for example, diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis). It is designed to support all countries at national and subnational levels (particularly low- and middle-income countries with limited resources) to ensure that environments and settings support older people to be active, and that they provide physical activity services and programmes tailored to the needs, preferences and goals of all older people.
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The document reviews strategies for community-based physical activity promotion among older adults, focusing on capacity-building approaches such as coalition building, professional training, raisin
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g awareness, and allocating resources. It highlights the importance of community involvement to promote sustainable health behaviors but notes inconsistent results regarding the effectiveness of these strategies. More rigorous research is recommended to optimize community capacity-building efforts for older populations.
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The uploaded document explores the Mediterranean diet and physical activity as effective strategies to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It discusses the diet's nutritional compon
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ents, such as olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, and their health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The paper also highlights the importance of regular physical activity for improving overall health, including its role in weight management, aging, and metabolic functions, while emphasizing a combined approach to achieve optimal health outcomes.
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This research report provides results from the study on living conditions
among people with disabilities in Malawi. Comparisons are made between
individuals with and without disabilities and also between households with and without a disabled family member. Results obtained in Malawi are also comp
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ared those obtained in earlier studies carried out in Namibia and Zimbabwe. The Malawian study was undertaken in 2003.
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This research report provides results from the study on living conditions among people with disabilities in Zambia. Comparisons are made between individuals with and without disabilities and also between households with and without a disabled family member. Results obtained in Zambia are also compar
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ed to those obtained in earlier studies carried out in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The Zambian study was undertaken in 2005-2006.
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The webpage discusses workforce nutrition programs and their potential to improve health, nutrition, and business outcomes. It highlights interventions such as access to healthy foods, nutrition education, health checks, and breastfeeding support, emphasizing their role in addressing malnutrition an
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d promoting employee well-being. The focus is on leveraging workplaces to enhance public health and productivity while identifying evidence gaps for further research and policy development.
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Physical activity plays an important role in the care
of people living type 2 diabetes. Regular physical
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activity can help reduce some of the harmful
effects and slow or even reverse disease progression.
Being active can also reduce symptoms of depression
and anxiety, and enhance thinking, learning, and
overall well-being. Conversely, too much sedentary
behaviour can be unhealthy.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the principal cause of morbidity, disability and premature mortality in Azerbaijan. The most effective way to reduce the NCD burden is to prevent NCD development, by addressing thebehavioural risk factors underlying NCDs at the population and individual leve
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ls: smoking, alcohol use, excessive salt intake, low physical activity, overweight and obesity, and unhealthy diets. In Azerbaijan, a national survey of the prevalence of major NCD risk factors, aligned with the WHO-endorsed STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) methodology, was conducted in 2017.
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USAID/KENYA Evaluation Services and Program Support (ESPS)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has a solid track record of supporting health and development initiatives in Kenya. AIDS, Population, and Health Integrated Assistance (APHIA) is the agency’s flagship hea
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lth initiative in the country. APHIA is currently in its third iteration, APHIAPlus, which began in January 2011 and is slated to end in December 2015. APHIAPlus was designed to contribute to Result 3 (“Increased use of quality health services, products, and information”) and Result 4 (“Social determinants of health”) of USAID/Kenya’s implementation framework. The main technical areas of focus are HIV/AIDS; malaria; family planning (FP); tuberculosis (TB); maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
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Zweiteilige Informationsbroschüre zum Thema Bewegung für Geflüchtete, erhältlich in den Sprachen Albanisch, Arabisch, Bulgarisch, Deutsch, Englisch, Farsi, Russisch zusammen mit jeweils 2. Teil auf:
information on the topic physical
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activity for refugees, available in german, english, albanic, arabic, bulgarian, farsi, russian and turkish on:
http://refugium.budrich.de/bewegung/
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Vanny Reis talks to Gary Humphreys about the transformative power of sport and physical activity in improving health
and well-being throughout people’s lives.