Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles) ISSN (Print) 0957-4824 - ISSN (Online) 1460-2245 Published by Oxford University Press[392 journals]
Authors:de Leeuw E. Pages: 1 - 3 Abstract: On 10 December 2017 the French minister of education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, delivered on a campaign promise made by now-President Emmanuel Macron, to “… interdirons l’usage des téléphones portables dans l’enceinte des écoles primaires et des collèges.” (“…we shall prohibit the use of portable phones on the compounds of primary and secondary schools.”) (Macron, 2017). The reason given for this move was that ‘children hardly ever play outside anymore’ (Le Monde, 2017). The implicit policy theory here seems to be that, in France, government has a role in securing that children play outside – and perhaps, to create conditions for happier, healthier people. The internet, portable devices, and social media seem the enemy of healthy choice. PubDate: Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/day001 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2018)
Authors:Corbin J; Jones J, Barry M. Pages: 4 - 26 Abstract: A Health in All Policies approach requires creating and sustaining intersectoral partnerships for promoting population health. This scoping review of the international literature on partnership functioning provides a narrative synthesis of findings related to processes that support and inhibit health promotion partnership functioning. Searching a range of databases, the review includes 26 studies employing quantitative (n = 8), qualitative (n = 10) and mixed method (n = 8) designs examining partnership processes published from January 2007 to June 2015. Using the Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning as a theoretical framework for analyzing the findings, nine core elements were identified that constitute positive partnership processes that can inform best practices: (i) develop a shared mission aligned to the partners’ individual or institutional goals; (ii) include a broad range of participation from diverse partners and a balance of human and financial resources; (iii) incorporate leadership that inspires trust, confidence and inclusiveness; (iv) monitor how communication is perceived by partners and adjust accordingly; (v) balance formal and informal roles/structures depending upon mission; (vi) build trust between partners from the beginning and for the duration of the partnership; (vii) ensure balance between maintenance and production activities; (viii) consider the impact of political, economic, cultural, social and organizational contexts; and (ix) evaluate partnerships for continuous improvement. Future research is needed to examine the relationship between these processes and how they impact the longer-term outcomes of intersectoral partnerships. PubDate: Mon, 08 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw061 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Lucas T; Pierce J. Pages: 27 - 37 Abstract: Guided by the Extended Parallel Process Model, this experiment demonstrates how perceived fairness in health resource policy decisions can influence both the protective action and denial-oriented health threat responses of policy affected individuals. Students from a large urban university in the Midwestern USA (n = 127) read about a purported illness and were told about a vaccination that would soon be available to them through their university. The out-of-pocket cost of vaccination was manipulated (distributive justice), as was the fairness of procedures used to determine this cost (procedural justice). When vaccination was low cost, procedural justice resulted in greater intention to be vaccinated and also diminished reporting of compensatory health behaviors that could purportedly supplant the need for vaccination. Ironically however, procedural justice resulted in lower vaccination intention and exaggerated compensatory health behavior reporting when vaccination was high cost. Crucially, this experiment demonstrates that perceived fairness may encourage both action-oriented and fear control health threat response, and that health promotion behaviors such as vaccination may be affected through interactive relationships of distributive and procedural justice that stem from health policy decisions. PubDate: Sat, 18 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw045 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Rogers A; Ferguson M, Ritchie J, et al. Pages: 38 - 48 Abstract: It is well accepted that actions to enhance food security and nutrition outcomes in remote Indigenous Australian communities have limited success when focusing on single factors and could far better be addressed by working across the whole food system. The formation of multi-sector groups to collectively work towards improved food security could facilitate this approach. This study sought to elicit the perceptions of a range of stakeholders on the enablers, barriers and perceived benefits of a multi-sector participatory approach that was developed and trialled with four communities to improve food security. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 60 persons and transcripts were examined using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that there is support in engaging a diverse range of stakeholders in a process of community-led action to support incremental improvement. The employment and support of local community co-ordinators, the multi-sectoral and structured approach, the use of participatory tools, and the facilitation approach were identified as key enablers. Main barriers cited were competing demands and time restraints while a slowing in momentum and lack of timely communication of actions for follow-up were areas needing improvement. Perceived changes in the availability and accessibility of healthy food and improvements in retail practice were believed by participants to derive from (i) creating a supportive environment; (ii) bringing people together; and, (iii) increasing knowledge and capacity. This study offers insight into understanding where the opportunities are in supporting a multi-sectoral approach to improving food security in remote Indigenous Australia. PubDate: Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw047 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:O’Hara L; Taylor J, Barnes M. Pages: 49 - 59 Abstract: The field of health promotion has arguably shifted over the past thirty years from being socially proactive to biomedically defensive. In many countries this has been accompanied by a gradual decline, or in some cases the almost complete removal of health promotion designated positions within Government health departments. The language or discourse used to describe the practice and discipline of health promotion is reflective of such changes. In this study, critical discourse analysis was used to determine the representation of health promotion as a practice and a discipline within 10 Australian Government weight-related public health initiatives. The analysis revealed the invisibilization of critical health promotion in favour of an agenda described as ‘preventive health’. This was achieved primarily through the textual practices of overlexicalization and lexical suppression. Excluding document titles, there were 437 uses of the terms health promotion, illness prevention, disease prevention, preventive health, preventative health in the documents analysed. The term ‘health promotion’ was used sparingly (16% of total terms), and in many instances was coupled with the term ‘illness prevention’. Conversely, the terms ‘preventive health’ and ‘preventative health’ were used extensively, and primarily used alone. The progressive invisibilization of critical health promotion has implications for the perceptions and practice of those identifying as health promotion professionals and for people with whom we work to address the social and structural determinants of health and wellbeing. Language matters, and the language and intent of critical health promotion will struggle to survive if its speakers are professionally unidentifiable or invisible. PubDate: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw051 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Lefkowich M; Richardson N, Brennan L, et al. Pages: 60 - 70 Abstract: This study set out to identify the mediators of diffusion of a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme; focusing on ENGAGE, Ireland’s national men’s health training programme, we explored the process (planning, implementation and maintenance) of using a ToT model of training to affect change in gender sensitive health and social service provision for men. Our findings indicate that an experiential learning approach in combination with mechanisms for feedback and fostering peer-based support during training and beyond are key strategies that foster individual (Trainer), community (of Trainers) and organizational (Trainer workplaces) level ownership. Moreover, by adapting in response to feedback, ENGAGE was able to remain relevant over a number years and to different cohorts of Trainers. As such, core strategies used by ENGAGE could be used to inform new models of health training elsewhere. PubDate: Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw056 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Bogomolova S; Zarnowiecki D, Wilson A, et al. Pages: 71 - 83 Abstract: BackgroundPeople with serious mental illness (SMI) have a 25–30 year lower life expectancy than the general population due largely to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mediterranean diet can reduce CVD risk and repeat events by 30–70%. We conducted a pilot feasibility study (HELFIMED) with people who have SMI residing within a Community Rehabilitation Centre in South Australia, aimed at improving participants’ diets according to Mediterranean diet principles. MethodsDuring a 3-month intervention, participants were provided with nutrition education, food hampers, and twice-weekly cooking workshops and guided shopping trips. This report presents the results of a mixed method evaluation of the programme using thorough in-depth interviews with participants and support staff (n = 20), contextualized by changes in dietary biomarkers and CVD risk factors. ResultsThe framework thematic analysis revealed evidence of improvements in participants’ knowledge of and intake of the key elements of a Mediterranean-style diet (fruit and vegetables, olive oil, fish, legumes), reduction in poor nutrition habits (soft drinks, energy drinks, take away meals) and development of independent living skills—culinary skills such as food preparation and cooking based on simple recipes, food shopping and budgeting, healthy meal planning and social interaction. These changes were supported by dietary biomarkers, and were associated with reduced CVD risk factors. ConclusionsA Mediterranean diet-based pilot study achieved positive change in dietary behaviours associated with CVD risk for participants with SMI. This supports a need to include dietary education and cooking skills into rehabilitation programmes for people with SMI. PubDate: Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw055 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Yang P; Dunzhu C, Widdowson M, et al. Pages: 84 - 91 Abstract: This study was aimed to develop an instrument to assess infectious disease-specific health literacy (IDSHL) in the general population of Tibet, China and identify the association between IDSHL and reported infectious disease-related symptoms. A survey using a standardized questionnaire, which included 25 questions on knowledge, behaviors and skills regarding infectious diseases, was conducted in the general population of Tibet, China between September 2011 and November 2011. The 25 questions formed the index system of the instrument assessing IDSHL (total scores: 25 scores). Factors associated with index scores of IDSHL were identified by general linear model. The association between the index score of IDSHL and the occurrence of the five selected infectious disease symptoms (fever, diarrhea, rash, jaundice or conjunctivitis) were investigated using multivariate unconditional logistic regression. Among 5717 eligible participants in the survey, 4631 participants completed all of the 25 questions in the instrument. The instrument was reliable and valid as measured by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and split-half coefficient, and the confirmatory factor analysis. Only 1.0% (48/4631) answered ≥80% of the 25 questions correctly (score ≥ 20). Significant factors associated with lower health literacy score included female gender, older age, Tibetan group, lower education level, underlying diseases and more undeveloped area. For each increasing score of IDSHL, reports of fever, diarrhea or jaundice in the prior year were significantly decreased by 3% (p = 0.015), 4% (p = 0.004) and 16% (p < 0.001), respectively. Accurately measuring IDSHL could help identify those individuals with poor IDSHL, who could be targeted with specific interventions to improve health. PubDate: Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw054 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Percival N; McCalman J, Armit C, et al. Pages: 92 - 106 Abstract: BackgroundIn Australia, significant resources have been invested in producing health promotion best practice guidelines, frameworks and tools (herein referred to as health promotion tools) as a strategy to improve Indigenous health promotion programmes. Yet, there has been very little rigorous implementation research about whether or how health promotion tools are implemented. This paper theorizes the complex processes of health promotion tool implementation in Indigenous comprehensive primary healthcare services.MethodsData were derived from published and grey literature about the development and the implementation of four Indigenous health promotion tools. Tools were theoretically sampled to account for the key implementation types described in the literature. Data were analysed using the grounded-theory methods of coding and constant comparison with construct a theoretical implementation model.ResultsAn Indigenous Health Promotion Tool Implementation Model was developed. Implementation is a social process, whereby researchers, practitioners and community members collectively interacted in creating culturally responsive health promotion to the common purpose of facilitating empowerment. The implementation of health promotion tools was influenced by the presence of change agents; a commitment to reciprocity and organizational governance and resourcing.ConclusionThe Indigenous Health Promotion Tool Implementation Model assists in explaining how health promotion tools are implemented and the conditions that influence these actions. Rather than simply developing more health promotion tools, our study suggests that continuous investment in developing conditions that support empowering implementation processes are required to maximize the beneficial impacts and effectiveness of health promotion tools. PubDate: Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw049 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Kelaher M; Ferdinand A, Paradies Y, et al. Pages: 107 - 114 Abstract: There is a vast body of research demonstrating the deleterious effects of racism on health. Despite this, there is limited research that considers the health benefits of anti-racism interventions. We assess the mental health effects for young people participating in an anti-racism intervention that was based on the principles of intergroup contact theory and delivered through five projects addressing specific issues and contexts. An evaluation of the intervention used a before-and-after design. The analyses reported here focus on data collected from participants who completed both pre- and post-intervention surveys (n = 246). Analyses examine the characteristics of participants, the environment for intergroup contact (equal status between ethnic groups, shared goals, co-operation and institutional support for intergroup relationships) and basic psychological needs (competence, relatedness and autonomy) as defined by Self-Determination Theory. The results suggest that the projects met the criteria for promoting positive intergroup contact. There was also evidence that participants’ involvement in these projects had positive effects on their autonomy, with particular improvements among people with ethnicities other than ‘Australian’. The findings suggest that anti-racism interventions can have positive mental health effects for participants. These benefits redress some of the individual-level effects of racism experiences by supporting young people to develop confidence and self-esteem. PubDate: Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw048 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Fogarty M; Coalter N, Gordon A, et al. Pages: 115 - 122 Abstract: Gambling impacts affect Australian Indigenous families and communities in diverse and complex ways. Indigenous people throughout Australia engage in a broad range of regulated and unregulated gambling activities. Challenges in this area include the complexities that come with delivering services and programmes between the most remote regions, to highly populated towns and cities of Australia. There is little knowledge transfer between states and territories in Australia and no conceptual understanding or analysis of what constitutes ‘best practice’ in gambling service delivery for Indigenous people, families and communities. This article reviews health promotion approaches used in Australia, with a particular focus on Indigenous and gambling-based initiatives. Contributing to this review is an examination of health promotion strategies used in Indigenous gambling service delivery in the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia, demonstrating diversity and innovation in approaches. The article concludes by emphasizing the potential value of adopting health promotion strategies to underpin programme and service delivery for addressing gambling problems in Australian Indigenous communities. However, success is contingent on robust, evidence-based programme design, implementation and evaluation that adhere to health promotion principles. PubDate: Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw060 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Eckermann E. Pages: 123 - 131 Abstract: Individual and community resilience are undoubtedly important targets for health enhancement and invaluable aspirational outcomes in the health promotion endeavour especially in disaster contexts. However, overreliance on resilience as a proxy for positive well-being has serious personal and political implications in many contexts, as illustrated in research findings on women’s quality of life in southern Lao PDR. Case studies derived from focus group interviews with ethnic minority Lao women about their quality of life are used to exemplify how overt signs of resilience may mask, rather than mirror, covert existential reality leaving women without a voice. The political implications of this silencing are profound. Private troubles remain hidden rather than being identified as public issues subject to public policy. This conundrum is not confined to third world countries. Structural limitations to achieving profound fulfilment abound in affluent countries also, yet neo-liberal governments rely heavily on the resilience of populations to minimize public spending. The challenge for health promotion researchers, policy makers and practitioners is to explore the nexus between individual agency and structural change in each specific context to ensure that health promotion initiatives do not inadvertently perpetuate disparities in access to power and resources. PubDate: Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw058 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Mejia de Grubb M; Salemi J, Gonzalez S, et al. Pages: 132 - 139 Abstract: Parental perceptions of their children’s weight status may limit their willingness to participate in or acknowledge the importance of early interventions to prevent childhood obesity. This study aimed to examine potential differences in Hispanic mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of childhood obesity, lifestyle behaviors and communication preferences to inform the development of culturally appropriate childhood obesity interventions. A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted. Groups (one for mothers and one for fathers) were composed of Hispanic parents (n = 12) with at least one girl and one boy (≤ 10 years old) who were patients at a pediatric clinic in Tennessee, USA. Thirteen major themes clustered into four categories were observed: (i) perceptions of childhood obesity/children’s weight; (ii) parenting strategies related to children’s dietary behaviors/physical activity; (iii) perceptions of what parents can do to prevent childhood obesity and (iv) parental suggestions for partnering with child care providers to address childhood obesity. Mothers appeared to be more concerned than fathers about their children’s weight. Fathers expressed more concern about the girls’ weight than boys’. Mothers were more likely than fathers to congratulate their children more often for healthy eating and physical activity. Parents collectively expressed a desire for child care providers (e.g. caregivers, teachers, medical professionals and food assistance programs coordinators) to have a caring attitude about their children, which might in turn serve as a motivating factor in talking about their children’s weight. Parental perceptions of their children’s weight and healthy lifestyle choices are of potential public health importance since they could affect parental participation in preventive interventions. PubDate: Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw050 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Strazdins L; Welsh J, Hinde S, et al. Pages: 140 - 148 Abstract: Like many nations, population ageing is challenging Australia’s economic future; increasing the workforce participation of mothers and mature-aged adults are two policy strategies to address it. Drawing on a Health in All Policies (HiAPs) framework, our study aims to supply longitudinal evidence on connections between this policy strategy and health. Considering physical inactivity, poor mental health, overweight and obesity we estimate associations with the level of participation (not employed compared with part- or full-time employed). Using eight waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, a series of random intercept logistic models estimate the odds for mothers (n = 2105) and Australians aged 55–64 years (n = 3201) on each health outcome. We find that there are health benefits as well as risks linked to level of participation. Mothers who worked >20 h/wk had higher odds of physical inactivity, as did mature-aged Australians working either part - or full-time. Working part- or full-time was unrelated to overweight or obesity over the span of our study. Level of participation was unrelated to mental health among mature-age Australians, although part-time (but not full-time) work benefited mothers’. In terms of health, working more may offer mixed blessings to these two target populations; part-time work appears to be optimal. By using health as a metric, our study adds to the case for a HiAPs approach. PubDate: Sun, 03 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw044 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:. Pages: 149 - 151 Abstract: This statement was commissioned by the UNU International Institute for Global Health in the run up to Habitat III—the third United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development. The statement draws on insights from the World Urban Campaign thinkers campus held during 24–27 January 2016 in Kuching, a WHO-designated healthy city. PubDate: Wed, 29 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw046 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Flicker S; Nixon S. Pages: 152 - 161 Abstract: Given the growth of interdisciplinary and community-engaged health promotion research, it has become increasingly common to conduct studies in diverse teams. While there is literature to guide collaborative research proposal development, data collection and analysis, little has been written about writing peer-reviewed publications collaboratively in teams. This gap is particularly important for junior researchers who lead articles involving diverse and community-engaged co-authors. The purpose of this article is to present a series of considerations to guide novice researchers in writing for peer-reviewed publication with diverse teams. The following considerations are addressed: justifying the value of peer-reviewed publication with non-academic partners; establishing co-author roles that respect expertise and interest; clarifying the message and audience; using the article outline as a form of engagement; knowledge translation within and beyond the academy; and multiple strategies for generating and reviewing drafts. Community-engaged research often involves collaboration with communities that have long suffered a history of colonial and extractive research practices. Authentic engagement of these partners can be supported through research practices, including manuscript development, that are transparent and that honour the voices of all team members. Ensuring meaningful participation and diverse perspectives is key to transforming research relationships and sharing new insights into seemingly intractable health problems. PubDate: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw059 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Waterworth P; Pescud M, Chappell S, et al. Pages: 162 - 172 Abstract: The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the barriers and enablers to implementing healthy workplace initiatives in a sample of workplaces based in Perth, Western Australia. In-depth interviews were conducted with representatives from 31 organizations representing small, medium and large businesses in the Perth metropolitan area which reported having healthy workplace initiatives. In total, 43 factors were mentioned as influencing the implementation of healthy workplace initiatives. Factors appearing to exert the most influence on the implementation of health promoting initiatives in this sample were culture; support from managers and staff; collaboration with industry providers; financial resources circumstances and the physical environment. These factors appeared to be mutually reinforcing and interconnected. Findings suggest there may be merit in applying an organizational development lens to the implementation of workplace health promotion initiatives as this could assist in leveraging enablers and minimizing barriers. PubDate: Tue, 16 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw068 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Authors:Bilodeau A; Potvin L. Pages: 173 - 181 Abstract: This article proposes a sociologically informed theoretical and methodological framework to address the complexity of public health interventions (PHI). It first proposes three arguments in favour of using the Actor–Network Theory (ANT) for the framework. ANT: (1) deals with systems made of human and non-human entities and proposes a relational view of action; (2) provides an understanding of the intervention–context interactions and (3) is a tool for opening the intervention’s black box. Three principles derived from ANT addressing theoretical problems with conceptualisation of PHI as complex systems are proposed: (1) to focus on the process of connecting the network entities instead of their stabilised form; (2) both human and non-human entities composing networks have performative capacities and (3) network and intervention shape one another. Three methodological guidelines are further derived: (1) the researcher’s task consists in documenting the events that transform the network and intervention; (2) events must be ordered chronologically to represent the intervention’s evolution and (3) a broad range of data is needed to capture complex interventions’ evolution. Using ANT as a guide, this paper helps reconcile technicist and social views of PHI and provides a mean to integrate process and effect studies of interventions. PubDate: Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daw062 Issue No:Vol. 33, No. 1 (2016)
Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)
[392 journals]
