Dates
01 January 2013 - 31 March 2014
Overview
The project will co-design, and pilot, a digital initiative which will encourage Highlands, Islands and Moray men to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviours.
Lifestyle can be the most obvious contributing factor in any number of preventable diseases. With the growing use and reliance of technology in our lives as well as healthcare providers, Take the Lead with HIM are looking to work with men to co-design and pilot a digital initiative to encourage men to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviours. with recruits from to target diet and physical activity behaviour change in middle-aged overweight men who are more prone and at the highest risk to the onset of type 2 diabetes.
What is co-design?
Co-design is about engaging consumers and users of products and services in the design process, with the idea that this will ultimately lead to improvements and innovation. Positive health and social outcomes will not be achieved by maintaining a 'doing to' culture - meaningful change will only occur when people and communities have the opportunities and facility to control and manage their own futures. This cultural shift towards a people-powered approach to health and wellbeing has the potential to bring about significant health behaviour changes … helping people to live well and stay well for longer!
What is a digital initiative?
Growing use of and reliance of technology in our lives...we have come to want, or even expect, instant access to services, be it weather updates or
Hand held devices, in particular smartphones and tablets, have penetrated the market to such a level (51% of people in the UK have smartphones) they have become an integral part of people's lives, with more people in the world now having access to a mobile phone than a toothbrush. With the central role of digital technology in our lives, there is real potential for people to participate in their health care more proactively.
Involved Partners
- University of Aberdeen, Centre for Rural Health (CRH), Inverness [Scotland, UK]
- University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Inverness [Scotland, UK]
- Glasgow School of Art, Forres [Scotland, UK]
Funders
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)
Contact
Dr David Heaney