|  | Current Issues | No.49 January 2007 |
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The Role of Thematic Networks THENAPA in Promoting Adapted Physical Activity Niemiro A., Dobreva I., Djobova S., Huijsmans K. & Van Coppenolle H. |
Abstract THENAPA and THENAPA II are two international Thematic Networks coordinated by Prof. Dr. Herman Van Coppenolle from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. In these projects, a number of specialists are working together in order to improve the quality of life of persons with special needs. Among other goals, the projects seek to promote healthy lifestyles through Adapted Physical Activity and to increase the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in different kinds of physical activities. Article Promoting physical activity as a crucial factor of healthy lifestyles is currently recognised throughout the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) “Every U.S. Adult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity activity on most if not all days of the week.” Physical Activity is not only the key to maintaining/improving physical health, but also has its benefits in psychosocial well-being. Sport and active lifestyle is becoming popular in the world, especially with trends toward adoration of health, beauty and youth. This fashion is widely spread, not without reason. Over the past years, the patterns of living have dramatically changed across Europe. The so-called sedentary lifestyle has become one of our biggest enemies. The great development of technology allows us to do many things with the smallest possible effort. It did not take long for people to notice that compensation for this is necessary. The need for exercising has been proven by numerous researchers all over the globe, and the benefits of physical activity are indisputable. However, there is a group of people who are often forgotten when talking about healthy lifestyle, physical activity and sports. People with disabilities are a minority group that can benefit from physical activity in the same dimensions as ‘able bodied’ persons. Despite growing popularity of such great events as Paralympics or Special Olympics, the needs of disabled people are often being neglected. This was the main reason for a group of specialists coming together under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Herman Van Coppenolle, from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, bringing together their knowledge in order to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and increasing their opportunities to receive all of the benefits of physical activity. In the last 8 years, 5 international projects have been coordinated by KULeuven, among them two Thematic Networks in Adapted Physical Activity (THENAPA). What is a Thematic Network? Thematic Networks are one of the innovations of the Socrates-Erasmus program, which is organised and sponsored by the European Commission. It was officially launched in May 1996. The idea of the Network is to deal with “forward-looking, strategic reflection on the scientific, educational and institutional issues in the main fields of higher education”(1). It is done by establishing cooperation between different departments of higher education institutions and other partners, and working together in order to achieve the goal which is to “enhance quality and to define and develop a European dimension within a given academic discipline or study area that ultimately leads to improving the quality of education and training”(2). Cooperation within Thematic Networks is expected to lead to outcomes which will have a lasting and widespread impact on universities across Europe. THENAPA Despite promotions and regulations on integration of people with disabilities, it is a fact that too many people are still excluded and deprived of opportunities to participate in society. Children and adults with a disability are often excluded from participation in regular physical education due to the fact that they are not fully integrated in the regular school system and society. This is partly due to a lack of knowledge. The European educational system is unprepared for meeting the needs of people with disabilities in an integrated setting. In order to bridge this educational gap, a Thematic Network for Educational and Social integration of Persons with a Disability through Adapted Physical Activity (THENAPA) was started in 1999. The aim of the project was to improve education of Adapted Physical Activity (APA) professionals throughout Europe and consequently improve quality of life for persons with disabilities. Over four years, experts from 23 European countries united their knowledge and experience and agreed on a common European program of the basics in APA and sports for persons with a disability. They defined the number of credits as well as the fundamental content of the future European training programs in this domain at all educational levels; in the studies of physical education, rehabilitation, recreation and sport performance. In order to make this basic curriculum attractive and visual, a CD-ROM called 'ADAPT' was produced. THENAPA II The idea of launching a new Thematic Network was born before the first THENAPA project was finished. Observing the dynamic changes in demography across Europe, the experts had to agree that one of the most important changes over the last 50 years had been the rapid increase in the number of people living into their 70s, 80s and beyond. Today, people aged 75 years and over form 7.5% of the overall European population, but in 30 years this percentage will rise to 14.4%. Most of those ageing people will have some physical or mental disability, regardless whether they acquired this disability at birth or obtained it later in life or it just happened as a consequence of the normal process of ageing. The “Eurostat” data estimate that by the end of 2040, severely impaired adults will represent 6.5% of the total population in Europe, or 24.5 million people. Benefiting from the expertise obtained in the previous network, the THENAPA II: "Ageing and disability - a new crossing between physical activity, social inclusion and life-long well-being" was launched in 2004. The new cooperation has started with the participation of representatives of universities and higher education institutions from 29 countries under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Herman Van Coppenolle. The objectives of the network were drawn based on the strong belief that the traditional disability model has recently changed to agree with the suggestion that disability is not only the consequence of a disease or an accident but also of lifestyle choices. Ageing is a process which brings gains as well as losses: gains, because it brings maturity, wisdom and respect; and losses, because it often affects and restricts the physical and psychological level and devalues the social perceptions of people who are growing older. Numerous research projects have successfully demonstrated that the benefits of physical activity for health are indisputable. As seniors are the fastest growing age group, attention needs to be given to them as a special population with specific needs in the area of exercise and sport. Qualified professionals in the area of physical activity for the elderly have to be prepared, so they can meet the new demands of the future. The main objectives of THENAPA II are: To define the European dimensions and the role of the physical activity for: Decreasing the risk factors for secondary disabilities Maintaining functional independence of the elderly Prevention of “premature ageing” in older adults Increasing life-long well-being Health promotion To analyse existing structures of education and examples of “best” practice in the field of physical activity and sport for elderly in the curricula of the students of Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Recreation, Rehabilitation, Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Sport and Human Movement Sciences To disseminate those examples through cooperation between university faculties and departments, which will contribute to the students mobility in their search for the greatest expertise in the area To promote independence, productivity, self-determination, community inclusion and full citizenship for older adults To create competencies in a variety of specialists in order to increase their employability To induce collaborative effort among University departments, local counties and the government To contribute to the lifelong learning process by raising the awareness that not only the adoption of positive health related behaviours but also their maintenance is crucial as the population is continuously ageing. Over the past two years, with the existence of THENAPA II, specialists from 66 higher education institutions and organisations have worked together in order to reach the goals of the network. Entering the third and last year of the project, we can proudly announce that many of the objectives are already achieved and the influence of our work is clearly visible in many of the participating countries. For its success, THENAPA II participants worked not only during the four annual forums that were held in Malta, Lithuania, Romania and Cyprus, but also during the national meetings organised in every participating country. The impact of the meetings in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece and Norway surpassed expectations. Not only the representatives of the universities shared there their knowledge, but also serious discussions between different Ministries, non-governmental organisations, sports federations and sport clubs, foundations and unions were held. The influence of those meetings on the awareness of professionals and policymakers is undeniable. The THENAPA II coordinating team and all the members of the network took part in many European and world wide events. Interpersonal contacts and inter-network cooperation are being established in order to disseminate the information and products of THENAPA II. Those actions resulted in launching cooperation with such prominent networks as EGREPA (European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity) and EUNAAPA (European Network for Action on Ageing and Physical Activity) that have become our associated partners as well as with renowned European organisations in the field of Adapted Physical Education such as IFAPA (International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity). The results of THENAPA II were presented for example during: the 9th international conference of EGREPA in Portugal in March 2005, the International Symposium on Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA) in Verona, in June 2005, the 11th ECSS congress in Switzerland in July 2006, and many others. The European Master in Adapted Physical Activity for the Elderly. It is necessary that in the near future, caregivers, physical educators, physiotherapists, etc. acquire better knowledge of ageing, disability and physical activity. However there is a gap in the educational system for the elderly with a disability and physical activity. The programs that currently exist include either the subject of physical activity for elderly or physical activity for disabled people but there is no program that combines those fields. THENAPA II wants to contribute to this by developing the European Master in Adapted Physical Activity for the Elderly, consisting of 11 study modules. This will create competencies in a variety of specialist areas. The program designed by the THENAPA II group finds its origins in the International Guidelines for Preparing Physical Activity Instructors of Older Adults, created by the International Society for Ageing and Physical Activity. Each module has been adapted and further developed by specialists in the area of each specific module. A master thesis and internship in the course of the program will eventually make the bridge between theory and practise. The modules that are included in the program are: Overview of Ageing, Disability and Physical Activity Psychological, Socio-Cultural and Physiological Aspects of Physical Activity and Older Adults Physical Activity Counselling and Motivation Screening, Assessment and Goal Setting Program Design and Management for Older Adults Program Design for Older Adults with Special Needs Client Safety and First Aid Teaching Skills Leadership and Communication Ethics and Professional Conduct Research Methods This master program will be delivered in cooperation between university faculties and departments, which will contribute to the students’ mobility in search for the greatest expertise in the area. By creating this program throughout Europe, we aim for a lifelong learning process by raising awareness that not only the adoption of positive health related behaviours, but also their maintenance, is crucial as the population is continuously ageing. The next step to developing this study program is aimed directly at the population of elderly disabled persons. Motivational movies will be produced and distributed to show this population the possible ways of exercising and encourage them to become more physically active. THENAPA II not only approaches the educational institutions and the population of the elderly, but also tries to have an impact on legal organisations. Thanks to the excellent exchange of information between the Thematic Network and different institutions, there has already been a marked increase in the interest of policy makers in the elderly, with or without disabilities. In the social policy field, serious concerns have arisen with regard to the activation and rehabilitation of the elderly population. We hope that, thanks to our multidimensional work, the results of our efforts will be of great significance for the near future. We wish that the quality of life for elderly disabled persons will increase due to better knowledge and understanding of the physical activities adapted to their needs. References 1& 2. Derived from the website of the European Commission : http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/tnp/index_en.html Contact Aldona Niemero Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Leuven, Belgium Aldona.Niemiro@faber.kuleuven.be For more information about our Thematic Networks, please visit the websites: http://www.kuleuven.be/thenapa/ www.thenapa2.org http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 The Role of Thematic Networks THENAPA in Promoting Adapted Physical Activity Niemiro A., Dobreva I., Djobova S., Huijsmans K. & Van Coppenolle H.