Population Health Promotion

DESCRIPTION

Population Health Promotion addresses the entire range of individual and collective factors that determine health and is designed to affect whole groups or populations of people. The goals of a population health approach are to:

• Maintain and improve the health status of the entire population
• Reduce inequities in health status between population groups. 

A healthier population makes more productive contributions to society, requires less support in the form of health care and social benefits, and is better able to support and sustain itself over the long term. [1]

OBJECTIVES OF POPULATION HEALTH PROMOTION

The Population Health Promotion department consists of professionals from a wide variety of health related backgrounds such as Social Work, Nutrition, Dental Educators, Health Studies, Addictions, Education and Nursing.  This multifaceted approach allows expertise in the many areas that health promotion encompasses. 

Using the Key Elements of Population Health Promotion as the framework, the Population Health Promotion department is focussed on improving population health through health promotion, protection and disease prevention. 

Initiatives that Population Health Promotion is currently working on are reducing tobacco use, promoting healthy weights, promoting good nutritional habits and oral hygiene, promoting community based injury prevention and promoting community based physical activity.

Population Health Promotion also supports the 40 Developmental Assets in the community. 

KEY ELEMENTS OF POPULATION HEALTH PROMOTION

1: Focus on the Health of Populations

A population health approach assesses health status and health status inequities over the life span at the aggregate or population level.

2: Address the Determinants of Health and Their Interactions

A population health approach measures and analyzes the full spectrum of factors, and their interactions, known to influence and contribute to health. Commonly referred to as the determinants of health, these factors include: social, economic and physical environments, early childhood development, personal health practices, individual capacity and coping skills, human biology and health services.

3: Base Decisions on Evidence

A population health approach uses “evidence-based decision making.” Evidence on health status, the determinants of health and effectiveness of interventions is used to assess health, identify priorities and develop strategies to improve health.

4: Increase Upstream Investments

The potential for improved population health is maximized by directing increased efforts and investments “upstream” to maintain health and to address root causes of health and illness. This will help to create a more balanced and sustainable health system.

5: Apply Multiple Strategies

A population health approach integrates activities across the wide range of interventions that make up the health continuum: from health care to prevention, protection, health promotion and action on the broader determinants of health.

6: Collaborate Across Sectors and Levels

A population health approach calls for shared responsibility and accountability for health outcomes with multiple sectors and levels whose activities directly or indirectly impact health or the factors known to influence it.

7: Employ Mechanisms for Public Involvement

A population health approach promotes citizen participation in health improvement. Citizens are provided opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the development of health priorities and strategies and the review of health-related outcomes.

8: Demonstrate Accountability for Health Outcomes

Population health focuses on health outcomes and on determining the degree of change that can actually be attributed to interventions.

GOALS OF A POPULATION HEALTH APPROACH  

  --Maintain and improve the health status of the entire population
  -- Reduce inequities in health status between population groups. 

A healthier population makes more productive contributions to society, requires less support in the form of health care and social benefits, and is better able to support and sustain itself over the long term. 

OBJECTIVES OF POPULATION HEALTH PROMOTION

The Population Health Promotion department consists of professionals from a wide variety of health related backgrounds such as Social Work, Nutrition, Dental Educators, Health Studies, Addictions, Education and Nursing. 

This multifaceted approach allows expertise in the many areas that health promotion encompasses.

Using the Key Elements of Population Health Promotion as the framework, the Population Health Promotion department is focused on improving population health through health promotion, protection and disease prevention.

Initiatives that Population Health Promotion is currently working on is reducing tobacco use, promoting healthy weights, promoting good nutritional habits and oral hygiene, promoting community based injury prevention and promoting community based physical activity.

Population Health Promotion also supports the 40 Developmental Assets in the community. 

Population Health Promotion Department
Contact Information:

Lori Tulloch
Regional Director, Population Health Promotion
Box 2003
Weyburn, SK  S4H 2Z9

Phone: 306-842-8632

Contact Lori.Tulloch@SCHR.sk.ca

Important Links:

Acquired Brain Injury Program (ABI)

www.health.gov.sk.ca/search?c=all&q=abi

Agriculture Health and Safety Network(AHSN)

www.cchsa-ccssma.usask.ca/ahsn/index.php

Agriculture Knowledge Centre

www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/AKC

Canada’s Food Guide

www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/

Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture (CCHSA)

www.cchsa-ccssma.usask.ca

Eat well Be Active Tool Kit

www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Health Canada

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php

Healthy Pregnancy Website

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-gs/index-eng.php

National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

http://marshfieldclinic.org/nfmc/pages/default.aspx?page=nccrahs_welcome

Public Health Agency of Canada

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

SAFE CANADA

www.safecanada.ca

Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction

www.sctr.sk.ca/indexF.php

Saskatchewan Labour- Occupational Health and Safety Division

www.sfl.sk.ca/committee_occ_health_safety.php

SMART RISK  

www.smartrisk.ca

Sharing the Journey - A cancer support group for women. Contacts: sharingthejourney@sasktel.net or vbetker@sasktel.net or 306-861-9343.