Ocular Health/General Health Advice.

Smoking and vaping cessation

Smoking and vaping cessation support for ages 12 and up.
Why ask?

• Smokers are up to four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of sight loss in Wales, than non-smokers.
• Smoking is still the largest cause of avoidable death in Wales.

Should I ask?

• 6 in 10 smokers in Wales want to give up.
• Up to a quarter of smokers are motivated to make a quit attempt in the next 3 months.

Will it work?

• Clients can receive free nicotine replacement products and tailored behavioural support.
• Help Me Quit really does work.  More than 40% smokers who receive this support are CO validated as having quit smoking at 4 weeks.

Physical Activity for children:

Why ask?  Two reasons:

• To support general health and development, and
• To reduce the risk of child onset myopia.

How often should children be active?

• Put simply, we want our children to be active every day, outside where possible.

What are the Government guidelines?

• Under-5s Infants (less than 1 year):
• Infants should be physically active several times every day in a variety of ways, including interactive floor-based activity, e.g. crawling.
• For infants not yet mobile, this includes at least 30 minutes of tummy time spread throughout the day while awake (and other movements such as reaching and grasping, pushing and pulling themselves independently, or rolling over); more is better.

Toddlers (1-2 years):

• Toddlers should spend at least 180 minutes (3 hours) per day in a variety of physical activities at any intensity, including active and outdoor play, spread throughout the day; more is better.

Pre-schoolers (3-4 years):

• Pre-schoolers should spend at least 180 minutes (3 hours) per day in a variety of physical activities spread throughout the day, including active and outdoor play. More is better; the 180 minutes should include at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity.

Children and Young People (5 to 18 years)

• Children and young people should engage in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week. This can include all forms of activity such as physical education, active travel, after-school activities, play and sports.
• Children and young people should engage in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscular fitness, and bone strength.
• Children and young people should aim to minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary, and when physically possible should break up long periods of not moving with at least light physical activity.

Can I talk to adults about physical activity too?

• Yes!
• Around 31% of adults in Wales are inactive.  Physical activity can prevent and treat more long term conditions than any other single intervention.

Type 2 Diabetes risk awareness

Why?

• Diabetes is a leading cause of sight loss.
• More than 180,000 people in Wales are living with Type 2 Diabetes, an increase of 40% in ten years.

What’s the purpose?

• Evidence suggests that, by supporting people to make lifestyle changes, over half of Type 2 Diabetes cases could be avoided.
• To do this we must ensure patients are aware of Type 2 Diabetes risk factors.  For example, age, ethnicity, family history, experiencing obesity.

Where can people get support?

• Type 2 Diabetes risk tool: Diabetes UK – Know Your Risk of Type 2 diabetes
• Healthy Weight support: Home – Healthy Weight Healthy You
• Support to create exercise plans can be found here, NHS Wales 111 – exercise: NHS 111 Wales – Health A-Z : Exercise
• A conversation identifying Type 2 Diabetes risk factors, between Patient and Performer, may lead to Patient seeking support from their General Medical Practice.