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Behavioural Policies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention pp 11–28Cite as

Underlying Assumptions in Health Promotion Policymaking

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Public Health Policy Research ((PSPHPR))

Abstract

This chapter explores and revisits the assumptions that underlie policymaking in the field of health promotion. It starts by clarifying what is meant by the term ‘underlying assumptions’ in the field of health promotion and disease prevention. Subsequently, the central concepts of how public health may be improved will be recapitulated in terms of their underlying assumptions and contrasted with the recent shift towards behavioural principles as applied in health promotion. By examining what a comprehensive approach that reconciles structural and behavioural interventions could look like, the role of behavioural insights in health promotion will be clarified. The chapter ends with some final remarks on future challenges in health promotion policy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The around 100-member jury of ‘everyday Victorians’ was an initiative of VicHealth with support by newDemocracy Foundation. The jury run over a period of six weeks (Halpern 2016, 48).

  2. 2.

    Accordingly, very fat or salty foods are labelled with a red traffic light, while healthy food such as fruit and vegetables are labelled with a green traffic light.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. FernUniversität in Hagen, Hagen, Germany

    Benjamin Ewert

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  1. Benjamin Ewert
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Correspondence to Benjamin Ewert .

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  1. FernUniversität in Hagen, Hagen, Germany

    Benjamin Ewert

  2. FernUniversität in Hagen, Hagen, Germany

    Kathrin Loer

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Ewert, B. (2019). Underlying Assumptions in Health Promotion Policymaking. In: Ewert, B., Loer, K. (eds) Behavioural Policies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Palgrave Studies in Public Health Policy Research. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98316-5_2

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