Billie Corti

Warning: attending a sport, racing or arts venue may be beneficial to your health.

Abstract: Concerted efforts to create health–promoting sport, racing and arts venues have become possible since the advent of health promotion foundations in four of Australias eight states and territories. Large numbers of Australians attend sport, racing and arts venues in pursuit of leisure activities. There is evidence that sport and racing participants and spectators, and certain subgroups of the arts community, have adverse risk–factor profiles that make them an ideal target for health promotion interventions. Through the use of sponsorship, health promotion foundations ‘purchase’ health–promoting policies in sport, racing and arts settings–policies that have the potential to become institutionalised once sponsorship dollars are depleted. This paper discusses the policies ‘purchased’ by the foundations and outlines a comprehensive surveillance and evaluation system developed for the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation. The system monitors the implementation of health–promoting environments at the micro level (sponsorship project); intermediate level (sponsored group); and macro level (community). The article concludes by outlining some of the lessons learned in Western Australia. These provide the basis for development of best practice in working with sport, racing and arts groups, and other sectors outside health, to create health–promoting environments.

The Myth of "Healthism" in Organized Sports: Implications for Health Promotion Sponsorship of Sports and the Arts

Purpose. The study examines the association of involvement in sports and arts with five health risk factors. The aims were to evaluate the argument that promotion of sports alone will achieve health objectives and to assess the suitability of sports and arts populations as targets for health promotion sponsorship. Design. Personal and telephone cross-sectional surveys were performed in Western Australia in 1992 (N = 2629) and 1994 (N = 2031). Setting. Sports and arts venues in Western Australia. Subjects. Random samples of household respondents aged 16 to 69 years. Measures. Measures of association between risk factors and involvement in sports and the arts were adjusted for sex, age, residence, income, and other types of sports/arts involvement. Results. Spectators attending sports events, who were not members of organized sports clubs, were more likely to possess three or more risk factors than nonparticipants (OR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.20–1.70). They were more likely to report cigarette smoking, unsafe alcohol drinking, and poor sun protection practices. Sports club members had a similar profile of risk factors, except that their prevalence of smoking was reduced and they were much less likely to report inadequate physical exercise. The most elevated risk factor in sports populations was unsafe alcohol drinking (OR = 1.81 in club members, 1.88 in spectators, and 2.25 in spectators who were also members). Arts populations were less likely than average to report elevated risk factors, especially in the case of members of arts organizations who also attended arts events (for three or more risk factors, OR = 0.59; 95% CI .45–.75). However, the majority of arts respondents had at least two risk factors. Levels of inadequate exercise in arts populations were the same as those in sports populations. Conclusions. The promotion of sports alone is unlikely to achieve health objectives. Highest priority in the use of health promotion sponsorship funds should be given to the populations attending sports events and involved as members of sports clubs. Investment in arts sponsorship is warranted, but at a lower level than health sponsorship of sports.

Association of the Health-promoting Workplace with Trade Unionism and Other Industrial Factors

Purpose. The study examines associations of five healthy workplace attributes with trade unionism and nine other industrial and sociodemographic factors. The aims were to illustrate the measurement of workplace health promotion indicators in Western Australia and to identify associations leading to a better understanding of determinants of the healthy workplace. Design. Personal and telephone cross-sectional surveys were performed using population-based sampling frames. The overall response rate was 72%. Setting. Workplaces in Western Australia. Subjects. Random samples of household respondents aged 16 to 69 years in 1992 (n = 1310) and 1994 (n = 1113). Measures. Measures of association between healthy workplace attributes and trade unionism were adjusted for workplace location, size, sector, and industrial classification. Results. Trade unionism was strongly associated with healthy catering practices (adjusted OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.30 to 3.23), sun protection practices (2.66; 1.69 to 4.17), disability access (1.47; 1.10 to 1.95), and worksite health promotion programs (2.56; 2.07 to 3.17). A weak and nonsignificant association was observed with restrictive smoking policies (1.21; .95 to 1.55). Generally, healthy workplace attributes were reported less often by respondents working in rural locations, in the private sector, and at small worksites. There was no consistent relationship with sociodemographic factors, including an index of social disadvantage, but members of blue-collar occupations experienced a low prevalence of restrictive smoking policies. Conclusions. The study raises the hypothesis, but cannot confirm, that trade unions could provide a means for employees to pursue the creation of a health-promoting workplace. Small business represents an excellent target for health promotion activities.