Hans Kai

HANS KAI is a community-led health program developed and delivered through NorWest Co-op Community Health and is available across Canada. It teaches groups about factors that influence their health such as diet, physical activity, social support and physical health and gives them the tools and knowledge to monitor these indicators.

Where did Hans Kai come from?

HANS KAI means group meeting in Japanese and was originally offered by health co-ops in Japan. HANS KAI participants get together to improve their health through nutrition, exercise and monitoring. It was brought to North America by NorWest Co-op Community Health in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Cooperative Santé Robert-Cliche in Beauceville Quebec.

How does Hans Kai work?

NorWest Co-op offers HANS KAI in communities and workplaces for all ages. Trained HANS KAI professionals teach a nine session health school that gives group participants the tools and skills to stay healthy and meet independently. Participants attend sessions focusing on healthy eating, fitness stress management, physical health markers and empowerment.

After completing the health school, HANS KAI groups meet independently where each group enjoys a healthy snack, takes part in exercise suited to their mobility, checks their health indicators, and socializes with their group members.

Hans Youth

Youth HANS KAI is a health promotion program for youth ages 13-21 years of ages. The program focuses on empowering participants to take steps to maintain or improve their own health and wellbeing. Participants attend 9 sessions with health professionals to learn what impacts their health and what can they do to stay healthy. The sessions cover:

What Makes us healthy
Health and Sexuality
Nutrition
Getting Physically Active
Healthy Relationships
Drugs, Alcohol, and Smoking
Coping and Mental Health
Values, Rights and Boundaries
Self Acceptance

After finishing the sessions youth are asked to meet regularly to support each other in health decisions or take on making healthy changes through a joint project.

Hans Training

NorWest offers training to Community Clinics and Health Co-ops to become HANS KAI trainers.

HANS KAI in Canada

HANS provides 8 training sessions to interested health care or allied health/community development staff to provide them with enough information and a toolkit full of health resources to facilitate their own HANS KAI Health School. The goal of the program is to have improved health and wellbeing and improved understanding of health indicators and healthy lifestyle. Once the group completes the health school they start meeting on their own. At each HANS KAI group they

check their weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and blood sugar
prepare and eat a healthy snack
engage in physical activity
socialize and support one another

In order to call a group a HANS KAI group , the group must be collectively led and participate in the 4 components at a group twice a month minimum.

The staff may need to help the HANS KAI group find a location to meet and speakers if requested. We do recommend someone from the host agency check in with each group at regular intervals to see how they are doing and collect data needed if participating in research.

The commitment from interested partners needs to have to have staff or volunteers to run the health school and liaise with the groups as needed afterwards for at least 1 year. This time commitment varies from 25-40 hours annually per group. We do not recommend more than 3 groups for a pilot. We are able to discuss the items included in the toolkit and cost associated with those and problem solve with interested groups as well. We really believe in the HANS KAI project and are eager to see how it could benefit groups across the country.

For more information about training contact Michelle Kirkbride at mkirkbride@norwestcoop.ca.