City of Kemi is using a wellbeing app to encourage healthy lifestyle in schools and among residents.
City of Kemi has been searching for innovative ways to encourage healthy lifestyle of its residents, especially those who are the most inactive. In 2019, inspired by the experiences of a local vocational college Lappia, the city decided to acquire a licence for wellbeing app HeiaHeia for its schools and residents.
In the app users can create and follow their own wellbeing plans and record their performance. The app sees wellbeing holistically. In addition to sports performance, one can set goals for e.g. sleep, nutrition or or any activity such as reading. An important aspect of the app is its social character, making it possible to connect to other users virtually and get support from their friends and local community.
The app became especially useful when the covid pandemic closed schools and sports facilities. During covid the use of the app grew ten times. With the app sport teachers are able to give their students tasks, create their own educational content and follow students’ performance. Schools have also created virtual competitions between classes where all students can contribute to team effort. The app is also used by the city’s sport services to give guide and encourage residents of all age for wellbeing acts.
In the app the city can encourage wellbeing actions through campaigns. Kemi has launched e.g. #BeActive campaign during European Week Sports, Green Kemi environment campaign during EU Green Week and a sports campaing targeted for residents over 60
Resources needed
The app is provided by a private actor and the cost of the app is paid from the budget of City of Kemi. Depending on the nature and size of the organisation, the cost of the app is approx. 0,25-3€ per user per month. In addition, the operation requires an admin user from the organization.
Evidence of success
The initial idea behind the app was to encourage healthy lifestyle of residents and school children especially for those who were the most inactive. Since 2019 260 000 sports activities have been saved to the app. During lockdown in spring 2020 the amount of users increased significantly.
Most popular activities are walking, cycling, mobility excerises and running.There are several known cases of people who have created the habit of regular exersising with the help of the app.
Difficulties encountered
- Prejudices have challenged getting new users. After trying the app many have found it useful.
- Not everyone has mobile devices.
- Marketing to older people when physical meetings weren’t possible.
- Convincing decision makers to fund new experiments can be challenging.
Potential for learning or transfer
A digital app is a new way for cities to encourage healthy active lifestyle. It offers a low threshold service for people who recognise the need to improve their lifestyle but find it difficult. HeiaHeia app makes it possible to create an individualised plan and get guidance through it. One can excersise how and where they want.
In schools the app offers a solution for remote education especially in sports but in other subjects too. HeiaHeia makes it possible for all to participate equally despite shyness or other constraints.
Similar app could provide to be useful for other cities and communities. The difference between HeiaHeia and other sports tracking apps such as Strava is that in HeiaHeia community is more limited depending on the licence holder, it can be e.g. a city, a school or a work place. This way one can feel belonging to their nearby community.
In the future data collected in the app could support knowledge based decision making in the city.
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