Promoting wellness and awareness around healthy living has underpinned the brand philosophy of the medical scheme, which ranks amongst the biggest open medical schemes in South Africa, says head of Momentum Health Marketing, Karin Claassen.
"You need to put your money where your mouth is. It is one thing to say that you care about the wellness and healthcare of South Africans, but we know actions speak louder than words, so our ability to deliver healthcare cover that meets members' needs is what makes the difference at the end of the day," says Claassen.
The South African NHANES-1 documented a combined overweight and obesity prevalence of 13.5% for South African children aged 6-14 years. This is higher than the prevalence of 10% seen in school children globally and is a key precursor to the development of lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes.
Evidence has also shown that habits adopted from an early age are more likely to last through adulthood. A research study from Kuth and Cooper (1992), investigated how self-reported childhood activity levels influenced adult activity levels on a stratified sample of 3,500 men and women that were followed over period from birth until age 43. Findings indicated that both higher levels of childhood activity and being more practiced or comfortable with sports were associated with greater levels of activity in adults.
According to Claassen, Momentum is supporting several health CSI initiatives aimed at developing the youth and creating opportunities to establish healthy behaviour amongst children. Through its partnership with Cricket SA, these initiatives include cricket lessons given by Protea players to talented children who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to play.
During September, Momentum Health, as co-sponsor of the DualX off-road duathlon series, in collaboration with Momentum CSI, will also be donating 20 bicycles to a group of school pupils who belong to the Tshwane Mamelodi Urban riders.
"We believe that it's not only about what you say, but more importantly what you do that will help change people's lives and behaviour. We partner with our clients on their health journey and the success of our brand is testimony to the success of our approach," Claassen concludes.
