Health and Well Being for People with Disability: The Role of Physiotherapists in Promoting Physical Activity (Invited CLINICAL Commentary) (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Current health focus (at least in the western world) has shifted from cure and prevention of infectious diseases, to the prevention and management of conditions and diseases caused largely by our increasingly sedentary lifestyles (World Health Organisation 2006). In New Zealand, 'lifestyle' conditions such as cardio-vascular disease, diabetes and certain forms of cancer impact on overall health, not only because of physical effects, but also because of social and psychological effects (New Zealand Director-General of Health 2009; New Zealand Health Strategy 2000). It is now well-known that physical activity is important to prevent or address 'lifestyle' conditions. Being physically active produces physical and psychological effects via a substantial increase in energy expenditure from contraction of skeletal muscles (Heath and Fentem 1997; Kesaniemi et al 2001). Encouraging all individuals in our population to achieve better health via improved levels of physical activity was one of the 2008-2011 health priorities for New Zealand (New Zealand Director-General of Health 2009; New Zealand Ministry of Health 2007). The New Zealand Disability Strategy specifically encourages improved levels of physical activity for individuals with disabling conditions (New Zealand Disability Strategy 2001), thereby matching efforts to encourage physical activity for people with disability on an international basis (Durstine et al 2000; New Zealand Disability Strategy 2001; US Department of Health and Human Services 2008b; Van der Ploeg et al 2007).