Hello Click4HPers

As a public health professional involved in population health promotion, I
would agree that the definition of health promotion to which I and my
colleagues, organization, and clients subscribe involves a much broader
focus than merely individual or population behaviour change. The social
determinants of health are key to effective health promotion. We recognize
that and have for quite some time, despite what some may spout from other
soapboxes.

Unfortunately, some appear to want to create what I perceive to be an
artificial separation between health promotion focused on lifestyle
approaches and behaviour change and health promotion related to the SDoH.
That this attempt is occasionally made with an air of superiority or
contempt is quite unfortunate. There are many folks out there who are
willing to work collaboratively to promote the health of our entire
population including those more greatly at risk of poor health. I will
continue to work with those communities and health promoters from a variety
of backgrounds and work collaboratively to promote health and reduce
inequities related to health. If people want to build empires they can go
ahead but they will become barrier to progress. 

Paula Robeson RN, MScN

-----Original Message-----
From: Health Promotion on the Internet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Eric Hemphill
Sent: December 12, 2005 3:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Bulk] Re: [CLICK4HP] [Fwd: comment from Dennis Raphael re goals
"these are atrocious..."]

Hello Click4HP-ers,

I can say with some confidence that most subscribers to this list would
agree
that the definition of HP used here is not as holistic or complete as those
listed elsewhere.  I would also agree with Dr. Raphael that the absence of a
direct reference to disparities in income, housing and other social
determinants of health is troubling.  However, a quick peek at the 
summaries of
the Canada-wide consultations suggests something different - 
specifically, that
these themes are front and centre within those who actively practice 
HP. Although it seems that something got lost in translation during 
this process,
does this mean that local food security organizations will stop lobbying
city
councils for community garden spaces in inner-city neighbourhoods?  That
fantastic organizations like Edmonton's Multi-Cultural Health Brokers Co-op
will stop helping new immigrants make a healthy transition to a new life in
Canada?  That valuable HP research into on-the-ground disparities in
physical
and social environments will immediately grind to a halt?  While I am not so
naïve as to think that directions from "on high" do not influence these
activities, I continue to have difficulty believing that Dr. Raphael's
yearly
prophecy of "death to HP" will come true.

Advancing the health of Canadians must combine lifestyles, behaviour 
change AND
the social determinants of health, working in a holistic fashion and moving
forward together.  Arguing that one aspect of this field is more 
valuable while
dismissing others as irrelevant will only serve to create silos that will
set
back the progress of HP indefinitely.

Since challenges seem to be en vogue these days, here's mine to Dr. Raphael:
Please explain to the rest of the online HP community (i.e. those who didn't
leave Click4HP to join the SDOH listserv) why you think that HP and SDOH are
mutually exclusive, and why they shouldn't be working together towards their
common goals?

And to the rest of the subscribers here, post a note about this and other
issues.  If you think I'm wrong, please say so - I'd much rather read a
productive dialogue concerning real issues in all our respective fields than
about how the sky is seemingly falling.

Thank you,

Eric Hemphill MSc
Research Coordinator
Centre for Health Promotion Studies
5-10 UEC, University of Alberta
8303-112St, Edmonton AB T6G 2T4
[log in to unmask]
(w) 492-2027  (f) 492-9579


Quoting Alison Stirling <[log in to unmask]>:

> Shortly after I posted a copy of the Health Goals for Canada, and the
> definition of health promotion used on that website, to this listserv, I
> received the following email message from Dennis Raphael, moderator of the
> SDOH listserv. He is not a subscriber to the CLICK4HP list and could not
> post his 'challenge' to the list directly. To encourage more dialogue I am
> forwarding it to the list.
>
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: these are atrocious...
> From:    "Dennis Raphael" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date:    Mon, December 12, 2005 10:19 am
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Health promotion is described as including "strengthening the skills of
> individuals to encourage healthy behaviours and it also includes building
> the healthy social and physical environments to support these behaviours."
>
> This is surely the death knell of HP in Canada. I doubt you will hear a
> peep out of your click4hp subscribers.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Let's take him up on this challenge - what are your thoughts about the
> description of health promotion as being behaviour-change focused?  How
> does this limited description of health promotion affect our field of
> practice, or work on goals for health?
>
> To be fair, my inclusion of the health promotion description was
> out-of-context and not complete. It can be found on
> http://www.healthycanadians.ca/KeyTerms.html
> and is prefaced by:
>
> Key Terms and Concepts
>
> While there is no consensus on essential public health functions, the
> following describes the activities that are normally associated with
> public health practices across the country....
> * Health surveillance...
> *  Health promotion – Public health practitioners work with individuals,
> agencies and communities to understand and improve the health of the
> population. Health promotion includes strengthening the skills of
> individuals.... [as per below]
>
> Surely there are broader concepts of health promotion in public health! I
> can think of the one from Health Promotion Ontario (www.hpoph.org) :
> "Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control
> over and improve their health. This process is based on the understanding
> that social conditions and personal actions both determine health. Hence,
> health promotion activities move beyond disease prevention and health
> education to address social change, institutional change and community
> change in addition to changes in personal behaviours."
>
> Keep the discussion flowing. Your comments, ideas and more are very
welcome.
>
> Alison Stirling
> co-facilitator, CLICK4HP listserv
> email: <[log in to unmask]> <[log in to unmask]>
>
> and Health Promotion Information Specialist
> Health Promotion Affiliate, Canadian Health Network
> email: <[log in to unmask]>
>
> Send the following text: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] 
> if you wish to unsubscribe. Go to 
> http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to view CLICK4HP 
> archives or manage your subscription (you will have to create a 
> password).
>
>

Send the following text: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] if you
wish to unsubscribe. Go to http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html
to view CLICK4HP archives or manage your subscription (you will have to
create a password).

Send the following text: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] if you wish to unsubscribe. Go to http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to view CLICK4HP archives or manage your subscription (you will have to create a password).