Local services
The details were presented at a press conference by Deputy Mayor Diána Széles and Csaba Papp, Director of the Debrecen Institute for Primary Care and Health Promotion (Daefi) at the Health Promotion Centre of the Move Debrecen movement in Szent Anna Street, downtown Debrecen, on the 23rd of September 2024.
Diána Széles said that the results of the Debrecen Institute of Primary Care and Health Promotion’s annual school health screening of more than 13,000 children show that there is a very high incidence of musculoskeletal problems, and 46% of students, one in two children, have flat feet, which indicates that children are not getting enough exercise in addition to their daily physical education at school. When they develop flat feet, they cannot stand properly, and their movements change in the wrong direction. In light of the negative results of screening tests, the Debrecen Institute of Primary Care and Health Promotion has now created the possibility of assessing and correcting flat feet with the help of a physiotherapist, primarily for kindergarten children, as this problem can be avoided at this age.
Director of the Debrecen Institute of Primary Care and Health Promotion (Daefi) Csaba Papp pointed out the danger of flatfoot with the illustrative example that “if we do not develop the right foot orthosis, we lose the “spring” of our body that relieves the spine. If you don’t have the right suspension, it can lead to spine problems over time and even lead! The means of prevention, in this case, is to exercise as much as possible. Again, the prevention tool is to move as much as possible”. Csaba Papp recommended to parents of small children that they should take their children outdoors to play and move around as much as possible and that they could also combat flat feet at home, for example, by using unique mats with an uneven surface rather than a smooth one. Such mats are already used in many kindergartens, and some institutions have created footpaths with similar surfaces in their courtyards.
Every weekday, from Monday to Friday, from 10.00 a.m., the Health Promotion Centre of the “Move Debrecen!” movement at 11 Szent Anna Street offers a one-hour time slot for kindergartens to request free floor exercise for their young children in groups of 15-20. During these sessions, led by a physiotherapist, children and nursery teachers can learn which movements are good for preventing and correcting flat feet and which can be practised at home or in the nursery.
This opportunity is also open to school-age children on the individual application, currently on a trial basis, once a week, from 5.00 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Csaba Papp emphasised that “ the results of the school health screening tests in Debrecen can also be used as a source of information for parents, as the information also includes whether or not their child has flat feet.”
Parents can also have their child tested for flat feet at the Health Promotion Centre in the city centre on Tuesdays from 4.15 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
These opportunities can be booked online at https://gondoskodovaros.hu, under Free Programs and Screening Appointments.
As Diána Széles and Csaba Papp emphasised, the “Move Debrecen!” movement is expanding and offers free opportunities for all Debrecen residents to get moving; residents must take advantage of it.
Source: debrecen.hu
