An inside look at "Healthy Conversations" training

9 October 2013

An inside look at "Healthy Conversations" training

An inside look at how a successful family and ‘early-years’ child health workforce training programme was rolled out in the UK will be provided to attendees at a Gravida-hosted lecture on 21 October 2013, Auckland.

Researchers at the UK Medical Research Council’s Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, the University of Southampton, Southampton city officials and Primary Care Trust have spent the last few years using research into the barriers to change for disadvantaged Southampton mothers and families to design and develop a new intervention that begins with their health care workforce.

The ‘Healthy Conversations’ skills training has now been shown to equip health care practitioners with sustainable skills they are able to use during routine contact with families, specifically aiming to improve self-efficacy and a sense of control over their diet and physical activity. Practitioners have been able to demonstrate increased use of skills to support behaviour change at all time-points. One year post-training they were observed to use behaviour change skills significantly more often than a comparison group of practitioners who had not been trained.

The ‘Healthy Conversations’ training programme is gaining international attention based on its success, and is now being looked at for adaption and use in New Zealand. Dr Wendy Lawrence is visiting New Zealand as an advisor to Gravida: National Centre for Growth & Development as part of the “MOH Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Workforce Development Services Programme’. Part of the programme involves Dr Lawrence working consultatively with project stakeholders, scientists, researchers and public health experts to adapt ‘Healthy Conversations’ for use in the NZ cultural context. At Dr Lawrence’s seminar you’ll hear about the design of the SIH intervention, its evaluation and ongoing results, and be invited to register your interest in the New Zealand programme.

The lecture will be recorded and uploaded as a webcast after the event for all people who cannot attend on Gravida’s website www.gravida.org.nz

Location: Room: 505-003, Liggins Institute
85 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland
Date: Monday, 21st October 2013
Time: 3.00-4.00pm, to be followed by drinks and nibbles

RSVP; here
Read more about the lecture here: http://www.gravida.org.nz/news-and-events/upcoming-events/improving-population-health-how-healthy-conversations-can-inspire-change/
Read more about Gravida and its collaborative partners’ programme here: http://www.gravida.org.nz/what-we-do/pregnancy-and-child-health/

ENDS

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