Children and adolescents

Six pilot implementations will take place on four locations in the framework of the WP 1 – Children and adolescents. Pilot testing of renewed preventive programmes that will enable their evaluation and optimization, will be implemented in the following organizations: Community Health Centre Celje (Zdravstveni dom – ZD Celje), Community Health Centre Sevnica (Zdravstveni dom – ZD Sevnica), Community Health Centre Vrhnika (Zdravstveni dom – ZD Vrhnika) and in Community education centre Murska Sobota (Ljudska univerza Murska Sobota) in the framework of the Project education for youth programme (PUM).

“Quality parenting for a healthy beginning” group is preparing a pilot version of community preventive care for new-borns, babies and neonatal mothers. The aim is health promotion and protection of the target group as well as disease prevention and possible complications and empowerment of mothers and their partners for the care of their new-borns. The group prepared an updated scheme of visiting neonatal mothers and new-borns with upgraded contents for each individual visit. Special attention will be paid to the recognition of vulnerable groups within the target population and to ensuring suitable interventions. The piloting will be aimed at two areas, namely breastfeeding and counselling on possible troubles regarding breastfeeding and mental health of the neonatal mother where a community nurse will perform a screening test for postnatal depression and act according to guidelines in the case of a positive result. During the pilot, community nurses will have the possibility of consultations with International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, clinical psychologist and psychiatrist. Pilot implementation will take place in Celje and Sevnica.

“Obesity prevention and healthy lifestyle of a child and family” group is preparing guidelines for the definition and treatment of excessively nourished and obese children. Approaches and methods for recognition and definition of excessive nourishment and obesity in children will be tested in the pilot. Additional measurements will be performed during a preventive examination while children or their parents will fill out a psychological questionnaire and a questionnaire on dietary habits. For timely recognition and treatment of obesity in children and adolescents, the cooperation between health and non-health sector (in this case educational) and data exchange between them is very important. Therefore, we will also attain the data from physical and motoric development card and use it for additional tool for the assessment of children’s physical capacity. Toward the end of the pilot, we will use the gathered data to define the problem and prepare the guidelines for the treatment of excessively nourished and obese children. Pilot implementation will take place in Celje, Vrhnika and Sevnica.

“Education for future parents” working group is preparing contents for the upgrade of the programme for the school for future parents. The school is intended for pregnant women and their partners in order to get acquainted with the course of pregnancy, healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and after birth as well as with the course of birth and preparation for it, with postnatal period and care for the new-born. Future parents also attain some key skills, which are important for the transition from their current life to family life. The objective of this group is to update the contents of the school for future parents and to unify their implementation in order to contribute to health promotion of all family member at the very beginning. Pilot implementation of renewed school for future parents will take place in Celje, Sevnica and Vrhnika.

In the framework of the project, we wish to establish a school for already parents. Three meetings in the first year of child’s life are foreseen, when young parents will attain information on current topics, such as care for the new-born, breastfeeding and nutrition, dealing with acute diseases, safety and injury prevention, mental health in this period, etc. Pilot implementation will take place in Celje, Sevnica and Vrhnika in September.

“Health education for children, adolescents and parents” group is preparing the Health education in schools pilot. The aim of the pilot is to establish a cooperation between health workers and schools with the goal to ensure a comprehensive implementation of health education in supportive environments. On the level of target population, we wish to ensure a unified knowledge standard (knowledge, skills, competences) for children and adolescents in the field of health, healthy lifestyle and reducing inequalities in health. In the framework of the pilot, we will unite with health educators, and together we will prepare a plan for cooperation with kindergartens and schools in chosen environments. The plan for cooperation plan should be prepared by the end of May (for the following school year). Through monitoring the cooperation with kindergartens and schools and the preparation of the plan for the implementation of health education, we will try to identify critical weaknesses and problems that appear when health workers enter schools and kindergartens. Thus, at the end of the pilot, we will have a good practice example for regions where such cooperation has not yet been established. Pilot implementation will take place in Community Health Centres in Celje, Sevnica and Vrhnika.

“Health services for youth in local community” working group is preparing the programme, entitled Health promotion in early school-leavers group. The main aim of the programme is mental health promotion and protection, and encouraging healthy lifestyle of adolescents. The programme is intended for youth aged 15 to 25 years who are included in the Project education for youth (PUM programme. It will be implemented in the form of interactive workshops on the topics of mental health, safe sex, healthy diet and promotion of physical activity. Pilot implementation of workshops will take place in the framework of PUM programme in Murska Sobota and Celje.