Statistics about disabled people usually do not receive as much attention as statistics highlighting other socio-economic problems. However, such statistics is important due to its actual weight.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 15% of the world population, meaning one billion people, live with disabilities, and 80% of them live in developing countries. UNESCO claims that 90% of the children with disabilities...

Background Public policy is increasingly recognized as an important component of physical activity promotion. This paper reports on the current status of physical activity policy development and implementation in four European countries based on the Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policy Audit Tool (HEPA PAT) developed by WHO. It compares the findings to previous studies and discusses the general utility of this tool and its...

Background A multifaceted response, including government action, is essential to improve population levels of physical activity (PA). This article describes the development process of the ‘Physical Activity Environment Policy Index’ (PA-EPI) monitoring framework, a tool to assess government policies and actions for creating a healthy PA environment. Methods An iterative process was undertaken. This involved a review of policy...

Background Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a global issue for health. A multifaceted response, including government action, is essential to improve population levels of PA. The purpose of this study was to develop the ‘Physical Activity Environment Policy Index’ (PA-EPI) monitoring framework to assess government policies and actions for creating a healthy PA environment. Methods An iterative process was undertaken. This...