Environmental support - Development of a national research center in physical activity and health research

Over the past 10 years there has been a growing recognition of the significance of physical activity as a preventive measure for a number of the major diseases and as a means of promoting mental health and well-being. The preventive potential of lifestyle physical activity is significant and this potential is far from exploited. The exponential growth in diabetes and obesity in the population indicates that problems related to physical inactivity will continue to grow in the future. This trend also includ es a polarisation in the population with respect to lifestyle characteristics such as physical activity. Thus, here is a great need for more specific research on how to promote physical activity in relation to the various target groups in Norway (children , adults, elderly people, genders, ethnic minorities) and on what forms of physical activity are most effective in relation to various health problems (type, amount, intensity, dosage response). At the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education there is an interdisciplinary research environment that has already has significant experience in conducting large interdisciplinary population-based intervention studies in high-risk populations among adults and school children. The long-term goal is to establish this group as a nationally leading and internationally competitive program with respect to research and evidence-based promotion. The specific goals are: to examine the significance of various forms of lifestyle physical activity and specific tr aining methods in health promotion, prevention and as a therapeutic measure for various health problems and diseases; to investigate the health benefits of daily physical activity and intervention in physical education in schools; to improve measurement m ethods for monitoring physical activity and factors that affect physical activity and physical fitness, and; to monitor physical activity, fitness and attitudes towards physical activity in the Norwegian population.