In the three-year interdisciplinary neighborhood project “Fit in Grünau”, health-promoting structures in the living environments of zero- to ten-year-old children in socially disadvantaged living situations in Grünau, a social area in the district Heerdt in Düsseldorf, are being developed and expanded. In addition, health-promoting measures and preventive services are designed to strengthen the health literacy of local families and professionals.
The project is aimed at children between the ages of zero and ten, their families and relevant professionals from the living environments of children in Grünau.
Promoting children’s health together
Based on existing structures in the social area, a round table “Fit in Grünau” is being established. The aim of this networking strategy is to develop low-threshold health promotion and prevention measures for children together with relevant professionals from Grünau and neighboring areas.
To develop health-promoting measures and prevention offers in a needs-oriented manner, a status, needs and requirements analysis was carried out in a first step. The initial situation in the neighborhood was analyzed and existing resources and potentials as well as challenges and hurdles in the neighborhood were elicited.
In order to generate the wishes and needs for health promotion and prevention of children and their parents, a needs analysis was conducted. For this purpose, guided interviews were conducted with parents. In addition, children were involved in a participatory manner in age-appropriate formats. A workshop was held with children of primary school age to determine their wishes and needs with regard to growing up healthy.
Based on the results of the status, needs and requirements analysis, health-promoting measures and preventive services will be developed in 2022 in a participatory manner with the children, parents and relevant stakeholders. In the long term, a sustainable overall strategy is to be developed, which can be transferred to other social areas.
In order to find better access to the children and their parents, doctors, gynecological practices and midwives are to be involved. The two systems of youth and health care are to be more closely interlinked and the professional exchange between them promoted.
Key data for the project
Duration: 3 years (01.01.2021 – 31.12.2023)
Applicant: German Diabetes Center & Youth Welfare Office of Düsseldorf
Funding: Health Insurance Association NRW (§ 20a SGB V)