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LEECH – Strengthening transversal competences of low educated employees concerning their health choices in the context of changing labour market
The project LEECH („Strengthening transversal competences of low educated employees concerning their health choices in the context of changing labour market”) is an international research and implementation project carried out simultaneously in four EU Member States: Spain (ES), Latvia (LV), Poland (PL) and Slovenia (SI) during the period of December 2008 – February 2011 within the Grundtvig sub-programme, the Life Long Learning Programme. Its coordinator was the National Centre for Health Promotion at Work of Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (Poland) and the other partners were: Valencian Institute of Care of Disabled People (Spain), University Medical Centre, Clinical Institute of Occupational, Traffic and Sports Medicine (Slovenia) and Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health of Riga Stradins University (Latvia). More information on project team could be found in chapter “Project team and contacts”.
Aims and objectives of the project
The idea for such a project derived from the results of social surveys, conducted in different European countries showing the connection between better health or more favourable healthy behaviour and higher level of education. In simple words lower socio-economic status of person often means unhealthy behaviour and lack of motivation for lifestyle changes leading to poor health itself. Globally such a situation generates high costs of health care and social assistance for people with low education status and reduced competitiveness in the changing labour market. Thus any efforts to reduce inequality in education and health could be rewarding and challenging. However practice shows that many programmes aiming at health improvements are ignoring the different needs of these target groups and contributing to deepening of inequalities in health.
Thus the aim of this project was finding out the right way to create a specific strategy for health education and health promotion tailored to the needs of people with low education status which could be an effective method for improving health status, healthy behaviours and social inclusion of low educated workers.
Main activities of the project LEECH
To achieve the objective of the project several activities were carried out:
1. Identification of specific ways of perception of health and its determinants, level of knowledge and beliefs of low educated employees regarding their personal healthy behaviours and health choices
Within this activity 2 tasks were done:
– Development of special questionnaire (in English, Polish, Spanish, Slovak, Latvian and Russian languages) by partner institutions involving relevant questions about the target groups perception of health, healthy behaviours and health choices. This questionnaire was piloted before the actual filed work to fine-tune the questions;
– Interviews with 1691 people with the status of an employee (approximately 400 respondents in each of four countries participating in the project) were performed. Respondents (aged 25–54 and split in 3 sub groups by age 25–34, 35–44 and 45–54) consisted of 2 major groups: people with low education status (incomplete primary, primary, lower secondary and basic vocational education) and so called control group – people with high level of education (secondary (both general and vocational) or tertiary education).
2. Summary of existing and formulation of further recommendations on effective methods of health education for LEE (especially in terms of content, appropriate strategies and methods of education) in EU and partner countries.
To achieve this existing recommendations were gathered by partner institutions by browsing national and international literature in this field. Further recommendations were based on the results of the LEE survey realised within the project.
3. Analysis of characteristics of educational systems available in each partner country for working adults (i.e. existing mechanisms, institutions and forms of possible trainings) that could be used to implement health education among LEE.
To achieve this analysis of existing national systems were provided by experts from partner institutions. This activity also helped to identify the national customers of the results of this project that could primarily benefit from effects of the implementation of the LEECH project.
4. Preparation of project LEECH manual (monograph) for health educators on effective ways stimulating LEE to implement healthy lifestyles.
To achieve this comprehensive manual describing the project objective and background, findings on existing situation with regards to research in the area and national situation with regards to adult education as well as detailed information on findings in each country and recommendations for strategies of health education. This book has been published in five languages: English, Polish, Spanish, Latvian and Slovenian, both in paper and electronic version (on-line version in English is available here and national versions are available from websites of partner institutions – in Polish, Spanish, Latvian and Slovenian.
5. Training of health educators in four partner countries (more than 120 persons) in the field of appropriate strategies for health education and health promotion directed to low educated workers and ways of transferring the competences to groups of people interested in this topic.
To achieve this content of such a course was developed based on LEECH Training programme framework which is available here. The pilot training was carried out in all countries participating in the LEECH project for more than 120 trainers.
6. Dissemination and exploitation of the project results among representatives of the target group.
To achieve this several activities have been done with main emphasis to project LEECH book and training course material as well as related presentations and articles that are available in partners websites for further dissemination. The paper version of the manual was distributed to the key organisations/ institutions active in the European Union countries and the European Economic Area in the field of health promotion, health education, adult education, social responsibility of companies and others functioning between the spheres of health and work. Moreover, data collected thanks to the project has been published in scientific articles and presentations from scientific conferences. Participation in various conferences and similar events has also been used for dissemination of project results. Press release with brief project and results description has been prepared for national mass media and partners as well as short statement to policy & decision makers. Web pages dedicated to project results has also been prepared by all project partners including the English version supported by the project coordinator.
Project team and contacts
The project “Strengthening transversal competences of low educated employees concerning their health choices in the context of changing labour market” is coordinated project leader – The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (Poland), in collaboration with three other partner institutes from Spain, Slovenia and Latvia.
Contacts of the project team can be found below.
Project leader
The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, The National Centre for Workplace Health Promotion
Address: Św. Teresy 8, 91-348 Lodz, Poland
Tel.: +48 42 6314-686, Fax: +48 42 6314-685
e-mail: whpp@imp.lodz.pl Website: http://www.imp.lodz.pl
The project leader: Elżbieta Korzeniowska, Ph.D.
The project team: Krzysztof Puchalski, Ph.D., Jacek Pyżalski, Ph.D., Eliza Goszczyńska, M.A., Patrycja Wojtaszczyk, M.A.
Project partners
Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health of Riga Stradins University
Address: Dzirciema 16, LV 1007, Riga, Latvia
Tel./ Fax: +371 67409139, Website: www.rsu.lv/ddvvi
The head of the Latvian project team: Maija Eglite, Prof.
University Medical Centre, Clinical Institute of Occupational, Traffic and Sports Medicine
Address: Poljanski nasip 58, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tel.: +386 1 522 2695, Fax: +386 1 522 2478, Website: www.cilizadelo.si
The head of the Slovenian project team: Tanja Urdih Lazar, B.A.
Valentain Institute of Care of Disabled People
Address: Avda del Puerto 108, ES 46023, Valencia, Spain
Tel.: +34 961971460, Fax: +34 961971461, Website: http://www.ivadis.com/
The head of the Spanish project team: Jose Gil, M.A.
Project results
Introduction
Project has produced several outcomes presenting project results. As most important outcome that covers most of the information gathered and analysed about the existing situation with regards to low educated employees health education, beliefs and expectation the book produced by the project LEECH should be mentioned. Other important results of the project include training course outline and course materials, press release about the project results, statement to policy makers on best strategies for health improvement among low educated employees and some country specific results for each of the partner countries.
So the most important results of project LEECH are:
– Project manual “The low educated employees towards health – challenges for health education”
– Press release about the project LEECH results
– Statement to policy makers about the project LEECH results
– Training programme on challenges for health education for low educated
– Articles and presentations on project LEECH results
Project manual
Project manual called “The low educated employees towards health – challenges for health education” is available as printed material in English, Polish, Spanish, Slovenian and Latvian. To achieve better dissemination of this manual all language versions have been prepared as pdf files and made freely available for everyone interested. English version is available here whereas the rest ones can be downloaded from the partners’ websites:
http://promocjazdrowiawpracy.pl/projecty/leech/
http://www.ivadis.com/
http://www.rsu.lv/projekti/es-programmas/Leech-project
http://www2.izd.si/default-2060.html
Manual comprises research done by the project LEECH on general concepts of health education and health promotion, social problems linked with low education and existing EU and national legislation in this respect. Manual also extensively covers the project results learned from the interviews and also includes chapters on situation in each of project countries. Printed version of the manual in English has been distributed among various European stakeholders. National language versions have been distributed in each partner country for major stakeholders.
Manual contents:
1. Health education and health promotion as a way of improving the low educated employees’ competitiveness on the labour market – the process and objectives of the LEECH project
2. Low education as a social problem in the European Union
3. European Union policy towards the low educated people
4. Determinants of health behaviours and possibilities of shaping them
5. Methodology of the low educated employees’ health education – review of approaches
6. The low educated employees’ health behaviours and awareness
7. The low educated employees’ preferences for health education and promotion
8. Shaping the low educated employees’ healthy lifestyles – recommendations
9. The low educated employees towards health – a Spanish example
10. The low educated employees towards health – a Latvian example
11. The low educated employees towards health – a Polish example
12. The low educated employees towards health – a Slovenian example
Press release of LEECH project
Press release about the project LEECH results have been prepared based on results from both the information gathering and analysis as well as from experience and feedback from training course participants. The main idea of such a release is to provide short yet comprehensive information on most important aspects of this project. Press release has been prepared in English as well as in partner languages and are available in project partners websites. It has been distributed as part of the project dissemination & exploitation activities.
Statement to policy makers
Statement to policy makers about the project LEECH results has been prepared by the project team. It briefly summarises main conclusions from the project that shall be integrated in various strategies aiming at improvements of health status especially for low educated employees and is addressed to those in charge for policy & decisions regarding various health related issues. Statement to policy makers has been prepared in English as well as in partner languages and are available in project partners websites.
Training programme on challenges for health education for low educated
One of the initial tasks of the project LEECH was to create training programme that could then be applied to trainers involved in various institutions – primary those involved in workplace health promotion and health education. Such training programme framework has been created based mainly on the manual produced during the training that combines both the available information in this area (EU and national policies and data, legal and other requirements and background information etc.) and data revealed and analysed by the project. It must also be noted that based on the target group in each country the course had slightly different content, e.g. if the experts involved in training where mostly occupational health and safety experts they received additional training on health education and health promotion. The LEECH training programme framework has been prepared as pdf file and is freely available in English language. Training of trainers in all project countries shall multiply the project results as the prepared course provides in-depth understanding and analysis of situation on low educated workers understanding and preferences regarding health related education. In longer run this shall lead to positive changes in quality and efficiency of training applied to group of low educated workers.
Articles and presentations
Country specific project LEECH related results include articles in various media including research articles and presentations in various events. More than 20 various articles or presentations have been prepared during the project lifetime and several more are submitted or planned in near future after the end of the project to continue the development of project results into practical and sustainable outcomes.
Project manager: Elżbieta Korzeniowska, PhD whpp@imp.lodz.pl
Website: http://promocjazdrowiawpracy.pl/projects/leech-2/
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