#2328_WSLHD_CPH_YIR 2023_4A_WEB

HEALTH PROMOTION

HEALTH PROMOTION HEALTH PREVENTION

Supporting healthy primary school environments

The Live Life Well @ School statewide program supports primary teachers to create a healthy school environment where students can be active and eat well. In 2023, our Health Promotion team started re-engaging with local schools following a hold on this program during the pandemic. 2023 outcomes: • 34% of 227 primary schools in WSLHD responded to a survey asking about food, physical activity, screentime practices and the barriers to implementing healthy eating and active living strategies at school. The rich data received will shape the support offered to schools in 2024. • A School Open Play Space Mapping Study appraised the open play space available in primary schools in WSLHD against current guidelines and explored possible reasons for geospatial variability across the District. Results will be used as part of school support offered in 2024.

Tailored local support for western Sydney services Our Early Years team met face to-face with eight ECEC services that have 10% or more children enrolled who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. These meetings provided an opportunity to understand some of the barriers and enablers these services experience when implementing the Munch & Move program and will help to inform Munch & Move service support for 2024.

HEALTH PROMOTION

HEALTH PREVENTION

Partnering with health-promoting universities With a return of students to campus following COVID-19, in collaboration with Nepean Blue Mountains and South West Sydney Local Health Districts (LHDs), we renewed our long-standing partnership with Western Sydney University (WSU).

2023 outcomes: • 2 exploratory workshops, where joint strategic priorities of the LHDs and WSU were identified. • Preliminary work on Campus Shade Audits; a Healthy Campus Checklist; Campus Food Environments and Sexual Health training. • In November, the University and the three LHDs formalised their partnership by signing a third Memorandum of Understanding, along with the launch of the University’s new Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy. 2024 will see joint Working Parties established to address a range of issues, including vaping prevention and on reducing health inequities amongst the student population.

L-R: Graeme Loy (Chief Executive, WSLHD), Mandy Williams (Director, Population Health and Chief Executive delegate, South West Sydney LHD), Helen Ryan (Coordinator, Healthy Places team, CPH, WSLHD), Ellen Brackenreg (Executive Director, Equity Safety Wellbeing, WSU, Emma Taylor (Mental Health and Wellbeing Clinical Manager, WSU), Eloise Milthorpe (Director Population Health and Chief Executive delegate, Nepean Blue Mountains LHD), Angelo Kourtis (Vice-President People and Advancement, WSU).

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WSLHD Centre for Population Health Year in Review 2023