Health Promotion at Local Level in Norway: The Use of Public Health Coordinators and Health Overviews to Promote Fair Distribution Among Social Groups

This chapter is set in the context of the introduction of an outright ban on smoking in the workplace in 2004, an initiative that is widely regarded by Irish politicians, public health and anti-smoking advocates as a story of success, despite ‘common sense’ commentaries at the time suggested that the ban would be too radical a proposal.Drawing on commentaries from broadsheet newspapers and political speeches from the time, this chapter analyses the introduction of the smoking ban in Ireland as a successful exercise in ‘the conduct of conduct’ (Foucault, 1982) by exploring the types of conduct that were embraced and promoted in the context of the debates over the ban. Informed by the centrality of notions of rational, responsible and civilized selfhood in contemporary public health and health promotion discourses, the chapter reveals how notions of what came to be promoted as rational, responsible and civilized behaviours, and their flipside, irrational, irresponsible and uncivilized ones, were central to the exercise of power. It also reflects on how the regulation of smoking became interlinked with social and moral processes, and how some of these played a symbolic role in promoting boundaries between different social groups.

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Joining forces to build up knowledge in health promotion: lessons from a French coalition initiative

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.218 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

M Porcherie ◽

A Laurent ◽

C Ferron ◽

P Berry ◽

B Soudier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Action Plan ◽

Local Level ◽

Experiential Knowledge ◽

National Committee ◽

French Society ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Tool Building

Abstract Issue French public health authorities increasingly rationalize access to public funding, favoring evidence-based programs. Health Promotion (HP) interventions are especially urged to prove their efficiency in this context. To tackle this issue, HP practitioners hold experiential knowledge (EK) that proves useful to assess both the complexity and efficiency of HP interventions. United by this conviction in a multidisciplinary coalition, HP experts from various backgrounds came together five years ago to promote Experiential Knowledge in HP (EKHP) in France. A national committee to promote EKHP 670 HP practitioners were surveyed in 2016. Results reported vast amounts of under-documented and often untapped field expertise in HP and numerous obstacles regarding access to scientific literature or systematic reviews. Consequently, the coalition launched a National Committee for EKHP, meeting 5 times a year since 2016. Members of 6 national HP organizations, of 4 regional HP institutes, national and local public health administrators, researchers, consultants and field workers participate. Steered by the French Society for Public Health and the National Federation for Health Education and Promotion, the committee devised a threefold action plan: 1/ advocate EKHP in all relevant institutional spaces, 2/ develop tools for EKHP, 3/ mobilize for EKHP at the local level. Results The committee designed a method for capitalizing, collecting and circulating EK and published in 2020 a guidebook and a toolkit. French Public Health authorities agreed to share EK nationwide on their online portal. Dissemination within the French HP community has started, through the committee members' networks, and will be amplified with a training program launched in 2021 at the National School of Public Health. Lessons Attention must be brought to HP practitioners’ experiential knowledge, both to recognize HP practitioners' expertise and to help improve the understanding of how HP interventions work. Key messages Experiential knowledge in HP remains undervalued and untapped in France. Dedicated practitioners, policymakers and researchers formed a multidisciplinary committee to promote and disseminate EKHP. A multilevel strategy combining advocacy and tool building can be effective at promoting experiential knowledge. A multidisciplinary coalition provided the necessary context-specific levers in France.

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2.O. Workshop: Climate change and the impact on public and occupational health

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Climate Change ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Local Level ◽

Climate Impacts ◽

Private Life ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

The Impact ◽

Health Advisories

Abstract Objectives Climate change has an impact on people’s physical, mental, and community health. This impact can arise directly and indirectly. Some natural disasters are exacerbated by climate change, like floods, heat waves, storms, wildfires, and landslides. Some effects occur more gradually for example from changing temperatures. Heat waves can weaken the infrastructure (transport, construction) and make food systems less secure (infections, less access). But heat waves can also directly cause severe health effects. Heat waves are examples of direct and indirect climate impacts on society’s physical and mental health. Climate change creates visible impacts in many countries. The number of heat waves increased across the globe the last few decades. This change has an impact on communities’ health both in private life settings as in occupational settings. There is an overlap of impact which influences the effects seen in both settings. The awareness of this overlap is not clear for most stakeholders. Health advisories before, during and after heat waves do not consider this issues in their health promotion activities. This workshop aims at describing different ways how public health could benefit of a more integrative approach of health promotion by linking messages directed at the general public and the occupational work force. Therefore, examples on national as well as regional and local level are presented discussed with specific emphasis on requirements and processes for success on one hand and obstacles on the other. The examples reflect different European regions and country heat waves plans as well as results from the EU-funded projects HEATSHIELD and SCORCH. Key messages Heat will be an increasing issue in public health. Health advisories need to be improved during periods of heat.

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Country Report: How do Serbian municipalities currently promote health and health equity?

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.732 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

V Karadzic ◽

D Jovanovic ◽

M Vasic

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Health Equity ◽

Local Level ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Living Environment ◽

Present System ◽

Local Health ◽

Healthy Living ◽

Country Report

Abstract A legal framework set in Serbia provide good basis for creating healthy living environment and health promotion at local level. The present system of local government in Serbia, with its 174 units is regulated by the Law on Local Self Government. In accordance to this Law each municipality has got a certain level of decision-making. Creating healthy living environment is one of the key objectives of municipal policy and its agenda. However, the extent of their inclusion and implementation is very heterogeneous between municipalities. Unequal municipalities’ capacities (financial, technical, human resources) for coordination and development of healthy living environment on the municipality level are crucial challenge. In order to support the activities at the local level, the Network of 24 regional institutes of public health, led by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, develops public health guidance, participate in drafting local strategies, programs and activities. Additional support is provided by the Local Health Councils, increasing a political sensibility for prioritizing issues to achieve healthy living environment. The coherent framework of mandates, local strategies and action plans for improving the public health have been established through widespread cooperation between the institutes of public health, health councils, and other stakeholders (e.g. nongovernmental organizations and governmental bodies such as the ministries responsible for education, environmental protection, youth and sport). In spite of that, their implementation is restricted by low awareness of importance of health equity and health promotion. In that sense, training and education on health promotion and health equity issues are crucial to raise the awareness, increase health literacy and enable satisfactory and quality implementation of defined strategies, programs and activities at the municipality level.

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Ohio Public Health/ and Health Promotion Library

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e328572004-006 ◽

2003 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Promotion

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Strengthening of occupational health promotion by the German Prevention Health Care Act

Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology ◽

10.31089/1026-9428-2019-3-188-190 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 188-190

Author(s):

Diana Hart

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Primary Prevention ◽

Occupational Health ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Occupational Health Promotion ◽

And Control

All countries are faced with the problem of the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCD): implement prevention strategies eff ectively, keep up the momentum with long term benefi ts at the individual and the population level, at the same time tackling hea lth inequalities. Th e aff ordability of therapy and care including innovative therapies is going to be one of the key public health priorities in the years to come. Germany has taken in the prevention and control of NCDs. Germany’s health system has a long history of guaranteeing access to high-quality treatment through universal health care coverage. Th r ough their membership people are entitled to prevention and care services maintaining and restoring their health as well as long term follow-up. Like in many other countries general life expectancy has been increasing steadily in Germany. Currently, the average life expectancy is 83 and 79 years in women and men, respectively. Th e other side of the coin is that population aging is strongly associated with a growing burden of disease from NCDs. Already over 70 percent of all deaths in Germany are caused by four disease entities: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. Th ese diseases all share four common risk factors: smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of physical activity and overweight. At the same time, more and more people become long term survivors of disease due to improved therapy and care. Th e German Government and public health decision makers are aware of the need for action and have responded by initiating and implementing a wide spectrum of activities. One instrument by strengthening primary prevention is the Prevention Health Care Act. Its overarching aim is to prevent NCDs before they can manifest themselves by strengthening primary prevention and health promotion in diff erent sett ings. One of the main emphasis of the Prevention Health Care Act is the occupational health promotion at the workplace.

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