Physical activity: policy context

The key policy document relating to physical activity in Scotland is Let's make Scotland more active: A strategy for physical activity. This strategy, published in February 2003, contains a series of recommendations, including national targets for increasing physical activity levels in Scotland. The targets are to achieve 50% of adults aged over 16 and 80% of children aged 16 and under meeting the minimum recommended levels of physical activity by 2022. The Scottish Health Survey is being used to measure progress towards these targets.

As part of the recommendations in the physical activity strategy, a Scottish Physical Activity and Health Council was formed in 2005 to further strengthen implementation of the strategy. The Council is chaired by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. Its role is to provide expert advice to the Scottish Executive on the health impact of physical inactivity, measures to reduce that impact and to offer leadership on physical activity and health policies and strategies in Scotland.

The Scottish Physical Activity and Health Alliance is a new initiative facilitated by NHS Health Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive. It aims to support physical activity and health practitioners in Scotland in the implementation of the physical activity strategy.

A selection of other policy documents of relevance to physical activity in Scotland are summarised below.

Towards a healthier Scotland (published February 1999):

• This highlighted physical activity as one of the key lifestyle factors that influences health. It set out the Government's determination to encourage wider participation in physical activity and included a commitment to set up a Task Force to develop a National Physical Activity Strategy for Scotland. It also included targets to increase physical activity levels among young people and adults. These targets were replaced by new targets when the national strategy Let's make Scotland more active: A strategy for physical activity was published in February 2003 (see above).

Our national health: A plan for action, a plan for change (published December 2000):

• This re-affirmed the Government's determination to promote and encourage physical activity.

A walking strategy for Scotland: Consultation document (published February 2003):

• The Scottish Walking Forum prepared this draft strategy with the aim of identifying ways in which walking can be made easier, safer and more pleasant. The draft strategy emphasised the links between walking and policy objectives in health, transport, land use, road safety, climate change, social inclusion, sustainable development and tourism. The strategy suggested national aspirational targets to increase walking.

Improving health in Scotland: The challenge (published March 2003):

• This built on the foundation of Towards a healthier Scotland and highlighted further actions to improve the health of the people of Scotland. Physical activity was emphasised as a key determinant of health and was also identified as a special focus programme for action.

Sport21 2003-2007: The national strategy for sport - Shaping Scotland's future (published March 2003):

• This strategy, produced by sportscotland, provides a vision for the development and delivery of Scottish sport over the coming years. The strategy set 11 targets to be achieved by 2007. These targets support an overarching goal for 60% of adult Scots to take part in sport at least once a week by 2020. The Scottish Executive recently launched a review of Sport 21 for 2007 onwards.