Description
The project “For Youth Health” answers the needs to develop evidence-based prevention initiatives within the growing Slovenian youth sector. The project aims to establish a healthier lifestyle among Slovenian children and adolescents aged 12 to 19. The project also focuses on working with their parents, youth workers and leaders who have a direct impact on young people’s health. Within the project the state of play in terms of the health of children and adolescents shall be analysed, quality training for youth workers and leaders shall be conducted and at least 176 experts in project's thematic fields shall be trained. The project shall introduce health promotion programmes in the youth sector among more than 2500 involved youth and their parents, including children, adolescents, youth workers/ leaders and young parents. The programme prepares educational tools that will allow upgraded and continued work in this area after the project is completed. Qualified professionals will receive the title “health promoter” and organizations that will implement evidence-based health programmes in order to provide a healthier environment for young people will receive the title “healthy organization”. The youth sector will therefore be empowered to start working in line with universal, selective and indicative prevention standards and to understand the impact that (quality) youth work has on young people’s health.
Summary of project results
In Slovenia, primary prevention programs outside of health care are not comprehensive regarding the target population. The programs that already exist are more accessible to young people living in the city, so we strived to develop health promotion programs in hard to reach rural areas. The results of the project will be sustainable with publications but mainly through youth organisations maintaining programs and educating youth workers, trainers in the future. The objectives of the project were focused on the care for health of children and young people, especially in promoting mental and reproductive health, sport and physical activity, balanced eating and preventing addiction (tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs and other forms of addiction). With the preparation of the scientific bases (10) we got a comprehensive overview of the issues in individual areas and have prepared health promotion programmes (54), which were implemented and tested in the Slovenian population in order to change/maintain behaviours and attitudes of young people, and to contribute to their healthy lifestyle. Establishment and implementation of new programmes and services for lifestyle related chronic diseases for different groups of users. 54 activities aimed at the reduction or prevention of lifestyle-related diseases was carried out in the project. 2) Greater capacity of experts for work with vulnerable groups in the field of the prevention of life-style related chronic diseases. 18 youth workers were trained to educate promotors of health and 159 people, mainly youth workers and leaders were trained to become promotors of health. 159 trained promotors of health did carry out 54 30-hour programmes with young people from different environments on healthy lifestyle, after they have received at least 50 hours of training. Additional experts did carry out 2 60-hour camps for children and young people with comprehensive outlook of healthy lifestyles and 2 60-hour camps for children and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. 1 comprehensive big program about changes and maintenance of behaviour and attitudes in collaboration with external partners did include 1,500 hours of activities.
Summary of bilateral results