Kia Ora from Aotearoa, Wellington, New Zealand.
Last week I became a member of the Evidence-Based Health newsgroup and wrote
a short note to all subscribers. One of the first respondents told me about
this health promotion group - I didn't know it existed! WOW

I would like to put a similar message here, hoping to find some fine-tuning
clues for my exciting project. Any help will be greatly appreciated and
acknowledged...

I am working on a huge evidence-based health promotion project.  The aim is
to develop guidelines for a regional health authority to purchase health
promotion programs which are effective and efficient...
The work involves a variety of health issues from the prevention of injury
to healthy schools, prevention of child abuse, reducing disability and death
rates from asthma and diabetes, reduction of illness, disability and death
rates from heart disease and strokes through the promotion of nutrition and
the reduction of tobacco use, promotion of parenting support and skills,
HIV/AIDS, etc., etc...

Right now our team is developing the FRAMEWORK for evidence-based health
promotion - based on evidence-based medicine (or, should it be?)
Specifically, I am interested in:
- what questions should published studies answer?
- the "rules of evidence", or how well do the different types of study
answer these questions
        (developing a method for "placing" health promotion research on a
spectrum of phases or stages)
- how valid info from each study is
- what does the evidence show? (effectiveness, cost, accessibility)

Any leads you can give me - studies done, articles, meta-analyses, contact
persons, etc - anything to do with evidence-based health promotion - will be
greatly appreciated.

I also have a similar dilemma as Daryle Gardner-Bonneau who said (22 May, EB
health) that "some proponents of EBM seem to shun, completely, anything but
randomised, controlled trials.  For some problems and in some areas of  -
[same for health promotion] - there are very few, if any, randomised,
controlled trials, and very little beyond case studies."

Additionally, many of the inputs re: healthy public policy, attitudes and
skills
may be regarded as intermediary variables towards influencing supportive
environments and lifestyles, ultimately impacting on wellbeing /quality of life,
or improved health. These intermediate stages, which health promotion addresses
may well be crucial to the eventual impact on health and wellbeing.

Where do we look for EVIDENCE in health promotion???

I look forward to hearing from you.

Your contribution will be gladly acknowledged.

Thank you very much,

Jiri Rada
Senior Lecturer - Department of Public Health
Wellington School Medicine
New Zealand
=);>)