PARE0035 WHAT IS YOUR HEALTH ACTION IN 2020?
Authors: T. Saarela
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2020)

Background: At the turn of the year and decade, it is a time when magazine columns and social media channels are full of New Year’s resolutions. We are thinking about weight control, fewer kilos, healthier lifestyles, increased mobility, mental well-being, more time with family and friends, learning new things, etc. For many New Year’s resolution is related to well-being, often a healthier diet and exercise. What if these promises were properly inspired? What if we encouraged people to make especially good decisions supporting musculoskeletal health and do good deeds? The Finnish Rheumatism Association and its partners started this project to encourage people make health promoting new year resolutions and tell them publicly. Objectives: The aim of the project is to promote the musculoskeletal health of the population and to raise citizens’ awareness of musculoskeletal health and illness. The purpose of the project is to inspire people to make promises and do deeds to support of musculoskeletal health. The project utilized people’s tendency to make New Year’s resolutions. Even small actions and everyday life changes are going in the right direction. Anyone can participate and have successful experience. Methods: The project is online at www.tinjanhuoltamo.fi The website briefly describes the background of the project. It includes links to additional information and reliable sources, and provides guidance on how people with RMD’s can have a healthier life. The project utilized the social media and participants were encouraged to make #lpromise updates for various social media channels. Campaign started at the beginning of December 2019. The radio campaign focused on Christmas holidays. Promises were made for the New Year´s Eve and some of them during January. We sent materials and tasks every week for online groups and email lists. Tinja’s Service Station acted as a personal trainer but online. We took advantage of a modern, interactive online environment where people shared their habits and experiences. All those who kept their promises till 2/29/2020 participated in a competition, where the prize was the winner’s choice of a welfare event, or a season ticket to a sports club or a local Rheumatism Organisation exercise group. Results: The Service Station turned out to be more interesting than expected. The Facebook group had 450 members and the email-group 75 people. The quantities exceeded our expectations. Physical exercise attracted the promises most. Good second was nutrition. Our social media campaign was not as successful as we had hoped for. It may be that people are too cautious of making public New Year’s Resolutions. The radio campaign managed to bring some more people to the email group, not so many for the Facebook group. It seemed a good idea to expand the campaign from social media to radio. The radio campaign reached people nationwide and there was a small peak in the Rheumatism Association website visits. Conclusion: This was quite nice and different project. It seemed that one act of health easily led to another and created a positive vicious circle. We start the project with good will and without blame. Changing one’s own activities and promoting future health require will and motivation. Motivation was the initiator of the action. A clear and realistic goal setting and a decision to reach the goal helped motivate. At the end of the March we will sum up the final results and pick up good examples for musculoskeletal health actions. It is already certain that we will renew the project at the end of the year. A service station is a great low-threshold place where you can, in a good spirit, get support for your lifestyle changes. Disclosure of Interests: None declared