FK-KMK UGM. Campus is a place of learning for students and is a workplace for teachers and educational staff. They spent most of their time in campus through various daily activities, which is slowly shape their habit, including physical activity and eating habits.
On the other hand, various technological advancements have made everything easier. Sophisticated communication makes things simple; we do not have to move a lot to do our task or to fulfill our need. The existence of smartphone and internet really help us, various tasks and/or needs can be executed while we are sitting around in an office with a smartphone. Modern buildings equipped with elevator also pampers us so much, thus all examples above make our physical activity even more decreased gradually.
However, the advancements produces a challenge for academicians to remain practicing healthy lifestyle. In 2008, UGM declared themselves as a smoke-free campus, in accordance with the International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and Indonesian government’s regulation stating that the educational place must be a non-smoking area. These efforts were conducted as a protection for secondhand smokers and as an effort to actualize a non-smoking environment.
Moreover, UGM provide facilities to civitas academica in performing better physical activities, such as the availability of bicycles that can be used by them for free inside UGM environment. Besides, – similar to other countries – several accessible parking points are available so that academicians can walk from the parking points to their building or their activity destination. Those efforts are carried out in order to help them fulfilling the minimum amount of physical activities without having to perform specific exercises. This idea really helps busy people to stay fit.
Additionally, UGM provides annual general check-up facilities for their teachers and employees whose age are greater than 40 years as a prevention program. Every Friday morning, UGM facilitates joint exercises which can refresh and improve the physical and mental health due to the cheerful atmosphere. Even on every Sunday morning, the UGM environment functions as a sport facility and can be utilized by all people, including the non-academicians. Those activities have been running in accordance with gerakan masyarakat sehat /Germas (a national healthy community movement) declared by the Indonesian government.
In 2017, the ASEAN University Network (AUN) formed a special working group to actualize healthy campuses who is able to encourage academics to live healthily. Prof. Dra. Yayi Suryo Prabandari, MSi., PhD from Health Promotion Team of UGM is appointed to represent Indonesia. As a result, in March 2018, FK-KMK UGM declared themselves as a health promoting campus.
However, the understanding and response of UGM academicians towards the ‘Health promoting University are still diverse. Through community service within the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) which is chaired by Dr. Supriyati, S.Sos., M.Kes, the efforts to improve academician’s health are carried out constantly, by both face-to-face and through social media.
One of the face-to-face activities conducted is a seminar entitled ‘Health Lifestyle for Healthy Staff and Students’, which was held on Thursday, August 28, 2018 at Auditorium of FK-KMK UGM. This seminar also served as a momentum for UGM to declare themselves as a health promoting university; a healthy campus, that can make their academicians live in a healthy life.
The declaration was officiated with the signing by drg. Ika Dewi Ana, M.Kes., PhD as the Vice Rector for Research and Community Service of UGM and Prof. dr. Ova Emilia, M.Med., PhD as the Dean of FK-KMK UGM. The signing was continued by representatives of academicians from 18 faculties and vocational college of UGM. Representatives from student organizations also attended the event.
As the keynote speaker, Prof. Dra Yayi Suryo Prabandari, M.Sc., PhD explained about the meaning of Health Promoting University and its challenges at UGM. Then, Prof. dr. Budi Yuli S., Sp.PD(K)., Sp.JP(K) explained about non-communicable diseases and their latest trend. The event was continued with a session by Dr. Heny Suseani Pangastuti, S.Kp., M.Kes explaining about the importance of the synergy of various parties in preventing and controlling the risk factors of non-communicable diseases. This declaration was expected to be an important momentum in improving healthy lifestyle for all UGM academicians. (Supriyati/contributor)