Health Promotion is about improving people’s control over the determinants of their health. It focuses on making population health better, before individuals become ill.
The key objective of Health Promotion is to work with, and for the community to achieve positive health outcomes for the Colac Otway region.
A person’s health is affected by many factors such as environment, access to housing, safety, social and economic circumstances known as the social determinants of health. If we improve the social determinants in people’s lives we improve their health.
The Health Promotion workers partner with other organisations in the community, including the local government, and schools to improve these social determinants of health, Health Promotion focuses on everyday life. Examples of health promotion work include:
The key objective of Health Promotion is to work with, and for the community to achieve positive health outcomes for the Colac Otway region.
A person’s health is affected by many factors such as environment, access to housing, safety, social and economic circumstances known as the social determinants of health. If we improve the social determinants in people’s lives we improve their health.
The Health Promotion workers partner with other organisations in the community, including the local government, and schools to improve these social determinants of health, Health Promotion focuses on everyday life. Examples of health promotion work include:
- Increasing the availability of fresh produce in communities, e.g food swaps.
- Access to transport to and from fresh food.
- Incorporate food security in council plans and policy.
- Influence land use, land mix and build environment to consider food security when planning .
- Setting up community gardens or community kitchens.
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO,1986)
The Department of Human Services guiding principles for Health Promotion
1. Address the broader determinants of health, including the social determinants (listed below):
3. Act to reduce social inequities and injustice.
4. Emphasise active consumer and community participation.
5. Empower individuals and communities.
6. Explicitly consider differences in gender and culture.
7. Work in collaboration[1][1] Department of Human Services, (2003) Integrated Health Promotion Resource Kit.
Download the full document (Dept of Human Services Integrated Health Promotion Toolkit) below:
- Food
- Education
- Addiction
- Unemployment
- Social Support
- Stress
- Work
- Transport
- Early Life
- Gender
- Social Exclusion
- Social Gradient (The Solid Facts: Social Determinants of Health - R.Wilkinson and M.Marmot 2003)
3. Act to reduce social inequities and injustice.
4. Emphasise active consumer and community participation.
5. Empower individuals and communities.
6. Explicitly consider differences in gender and culture.
7. Work in collaboration[1][1] Department of Human Services, (2003) Integrated Health Promotion Resource Kit.
Download the full document (Dept of Human Services Integrated Health Promotion Toolkit) below: