Health Promotion through indirect interventions
or Safety Promotion in New Arenas.

Call for other evidenced based examples!

We have recently made a feasability study concerning a new model for alcohol
and traffic information using a Vehicle test centre in Sweden that served
as an arena for intervention. At the yearly mandatory motor vehicle
inspection a questionnaire was distributed prior to the inspection and an
answer pamphlet was provided when the vehicle had been inspected, in other
words, intervention via investigation. It could also be called health
promotion advocacy by other sectors than the health services.

In summary the Vehicle test centres served well as an arena for intervention
as contact is made with drivers in important age categories during a short
period of time and at limited expense.

This did raise a number of question on other examples of using one setting/
arena, in our example the Vehicle test centres for interventions on alcohol
use, e.g. drinking driving and safety promotion. We now look for similar
examples from other settings reported on in the litterature. The basic
councelling for stop smoking by GPs when patients come to their practices
for other reasons are well documented. But what about other personell
cathegories and their stop smoking advices? Studies on documented actions on
smoking by dentists? Do they exist? We have also thought of  screening
procedures in the health services like mammography screening beeing used for
smoking prevention. Is there such an example? And, what about the advising/
health education by pharmacists in drugstores? Is there available studies on
the effects of their advising?

Please provide us  with references or e-mails for contact persons dealing
with projects of indirect interventions.


Yours


Bo J A Haglund
ass professor, director
WHO Collaborating Centre
Karolinska Centre on Supportive Environments for Health
Karolinska Institute
Dept of Public Health Sciences
Division of  Social Medicine,
S-172 83 SUNDBYBERG, Sweden
tel: + 46 8 629 05 64
fax at work: + 46 8 28 95 00;
Internet adress: [log in to unmask]

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