Evidence based health promotion

Page content: Overview | Resources for planning | Contact information

Overview

The Victorian Government is committed to supporting evidence-based practice in the planning and implementation of effective health promotion action. The practical use of evidence promises better health outcomes by informing practitioners, program planners and funding bodies as they develop and select health promotion strategies, methods and activities.

The Public Health Group, Department of Human Services, in collaboration with statewide health advancement organisations, is working towards the provision of quality advice on health promotion practice. This involves preparing and facilitating access to systematic reviews of the effectiveness of different kinds of interventions.

Evidence-based reviews identify the most effective and efficacious interventions and provide information to help ensure efficient use of resources. The findings of these reviews are targeted to those needing to make decisions about the type of programs that should be developed and implemented; they do not tell practitioners how to deliver programs.

The advice provided by such reviews should be seen as complementing rather than replacing the practical experience and critical judgement of planners and practitioners. The recommendations need to be carefully considered in the light of the particular context for implementation in order to ensure a balanced and realistic application of the principles.

Significant logistical and methodological challenges are associated with reviewing the evidence base for health promotion. The amount of available evidence is often very limited and the quality highly varied. For this reason, these reviews should be seen as a first step only, requiring ongoing enhancement and critical application.

This publication is part of a series initiated by Public Health. The following documents initiate the series.

Resources for Planning

• No.1 - Oral health

• No.2 - Adolescent health

• No.3 - Falls prevention

• No.4 - Child injury Prevention

• No.5 - Promoting Healthy Eating for Children

• No.6 - Body image

• No.7 - Cardiovascular disease & type 2 diabetes

• No.8 - Mental Health Promotion

• Reports

These publications use current evidence in each field and contain a critical appraisal of the findings. Recommendations for implementation are made to assist health promotion funders, planners and practitioners requiring an evidence base for their work.

Contact information

For further information please contact:
Martin Horrocks
Telephone: (61 3) 9096 5561
Project Manager, Health Promotion Capacity Building
Department of Human Services

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