Health protection and safety in physical activity and sport promotion: the continuous evolution of roles and regulations in Italy.

Abstract

The promotion of physical activity is one of the main prevention strategies because of its fundamental role in reducing the risk of developing the major chronic diseases causing disability and death. Consistently with the approach of "health in all policies" for different age classes and health conditions, the Italian Ministry of Health identifies physical activity as a valid and economically sustainable instrument of prevention and health promotion for all the community. By highlighting the preventive role of physical activity, the Italian Government has recently inserted specific services regarding physical activity promotion among the Essential Levels of Care. The existing criticalities regarding the certification of physical fitness for sport practice, the use of defibrillator, and the transparency and safety criteria which should be guaranteed to the users of sport facilities are discussed in this article. The current debate among Italian Institutions may contribute to resolve these criticalities and to simplify the procedures, in order to make the practice of sport and physical activity even more accessible and safe for all citizens.