Delivering the Science and the Art of Health Promotion

Robert F. Allen
Symbol of HOPE
Award

From the Editor
Editor's Notes Nov/Dec 2008

Evolving Definition of Health Promotion: What Do You Think?

The premier issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion included a definition of health promotion that was written to guide our editorial content. Three years later, in 1989, I revised the definition to stress my belief that providing supportive environments is the most effective way to change and maintain positive health behavior. Now, 19 years later, I am working to revise the definition to incorporate three new concepts: 1) striving for balance in the five dimensions of optimal health is a more realistic goal than achieving balance; 2) people will be more motivated to achieve this balance when they discover the synergies between their core passions and each of the five dimensions; and 3) enhancing motivation and providing opportunities for positive health practices are the strategies most likely to help people start and maintain positive health practices.v read more

19th Annual Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference
What Works Best in Health Promotion
March 16 - 19, 2009

Conference Update
Keynotes Announced

Dean Ornish, MD The Power of Personalized Lifestyle Changes	Alfie Kohn Punished by Rewards:  Why Incentives Are Counterproductive	Kenneth Pelletier Searching for the Unicorn: Clinical and Cost Outcomes of Worksite Intervention

Definition of Health Promotion

"Health promotion is the science and art of helping people change their lifestyle to move toward a state of optimal health.  Optimal health is defined as a balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health.  Lifestyle change can be facilitated through a combination of efforts to enhance awareness, change behavior and create environments that support good health practices.  Of the three, supportive environments will probably have the greatest impact in producing lasting change".  (American Journal of Health Promotion, 1989,3,3,5)

Physical Fitness.  Nutrition.  Medical self-care.  Control of substance abuse. Emotional Care for emotional crisis.  Stress Management Social Communities.  Families.  Friends Intellectual Educational.  Achievement.  Career development Spiritual Love.  Hope.  Charity.

Our definition of health promotion guides the editorial content of all of our publications.v read more

American Journal of Health Promotion |  248-682-0707