Welcome to this double issue of the International Journal of Health Promotion and Education.
The issue covers a number of important concerns in the field of health promotion and education and includes two papers from Australia that report on outcomes of specific interventions.
The paper by Lester et al. focuses on alcohol misuse among young Australians. The authors carried out a longitudinal study following the trajectory of alcohol consumption of school students involved in a harm minimisation intervention programme. Their findings indicate that the intervention was effective in that it reduced the number of students who substantially increased their alcohol consumption over time while at the same time reducing their level of consumption in relative terms. There was strong evidence that the intervention was influential with all types of student drinkers, from low to high consumers. In the other intervention paper, Khong et al. report on a peer-led falls prevention education programme in older people. The intervention was underpinned by the COM-B model and was found to be an effective approach. It raised older adults level of knowledge about falls prevention and intention to engage in evidence-based strategies. The authors recommend that falls prevention education programmes designed for older adults seek key stakeholders’ feedback, identify elements that promote engagement of the intended messages to the older adults concerned, and are delivered using behaviour change techniques, relevant adult learning principles and pedagogical strategies. Importantly, they also concluded that adopting a theoretical framework-driven approach contributes to effective design and delivery of falls prevention education programmes which is a principle that can be extended to all health promotion interventions.
Another study underpinned by a theoretical framework is reported on by Jung et al. and was carried out in the United States of America. Utilising the constructs of the Model of Goal-directed Behaviour, Jung et al. examined college students’ intentions to consume fruit and vegetables. Their findings suggested that desire is critical in prompting behaviour change. They also concluded that factors influencing desire and/or intention in the study population included positive anticipated emotions, past behaviour and perceived behavioural control. The implications for theory and practice are discussed. Keeping with the subject of nutrition, Apatu et al. present a review of literature on school-based nutrition and garden programmes and their impact on the dietary practices and choices of low-income parents. They conclude that there are actually very few assessments of this and suggest that future research should more closely investigate the impact of school-based nutrition and gardening programmes on low-income families given the important link between socioeconomic status and nutritional practices.
Public health can be promoted through participation in sport and exercise. The paper by Dallmeyer et al. examines the relationship between sport-related government spending and sport and exercise participation. The authors found that consistent government spending on sports facilities is positively associated with participation in sport and exercise. From a health policy perspective, long terms plans and funding strategies have to be in place. Although this study was carried out in Germany the conclusions are very relevant to other countries and should influence the development of healthy public policy in this area.
The final paper by Umeh and Puddephatt comes from the UK and examines the importance of personalised care planning for people with chronic pain. It highlights the need for additional education support in dealing with the emotional and psychological impact of living with chronic pain and recommends the use of structured education programmes to help improve self-management skills.
This issue includes Professor Sylvia Tilford’s last President’s letter for the International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. We would like to thank Professor Sylvia Tilford for her commitment to, and support of, the journal during her term of office and wish her all the best for the future. We welcome our new President of the Institute of Health Promotion and Education, Sylvia Cheater, MBE, who began her term of office in July 2018. Also included in this double issue is an obituary for Professor Keith Tones, a highly influential figure in health education and health promotion whose career spanned several decades. Many thanks to Professor Sylvia Tilford for writing this on behalf of the Institute of Health Promotion and Education.
Health promotion emphasises the social determinants of health and the impact that these have on health behaviour and health outcomes. To this end we are pleased to announce a continued call for papers for a special issue. Here is the overview:
There is a wide appreciation and evidence base that shows the impact of social factors on the health and well-being of communities, but health promotion programmes overwhelmingly remain focused on behavioural outcomes and modifying ‘lifestyle’. While lifestyle interventions have a major contribution to make in addressing health outcomes and addressing inequalities, they are often limited in understanding wider social constraints on the lives of individuals and communities. This special edition will focus on how tackling wider social determinants (transport, housing, employment, poverty, education) can contribute to health promotion. The special edition welcomes papers from different methodological perspectives; evidence syntheses; and discussion and theoretical papers.
Possible subject areas will include Social and Community Network; Poverty; Education; Housing; Employment/Unemployment/work; Water and Sanitation; Transport; and Underserved/Vulnerable Groups. The deadline for submission is 31 May 2019.
We hope you enjoy reading this double issue and we welcome your comments on, and contributions, to the journal. If you would like to become a reviewer for the journal we would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch via email at: [email protected]. Join us in championing health promotion and making a difference.