Ms. M.A.E. (Annemarie) Wagemakers(MSc): Healthy environment, healthy behavior

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23 Apr 2010 13:30
Unit: BSc public health and society
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: prof.dr.ir. C. Leeuwis (Communication and Innovation studies)
Co Promotor: Dr. M.A. Koelen, Dr.ir. H.W. Vaandrager

 Involvement of target group in creating healthy environments promotes health

Health education in itself is not enough to change health behavior. What works is to involve and activate people in creating healthy environments. This is concluded by Annemarie Wagemakers in her PhD Thesis 'Community health promotion. Facilitating and evaluating coordinated action to create supportive social environments' to be defended on 23 April.

A healthy environment enables people to behave healthily. The health gain is even greater if the target group participates actively in creating the healthy environment. This is the result of PhD research on community programs such as the ‘Healthy Neighborhoods Eindhoven’ program and the ‘Healthy Lifestyles Amsterdam’ program.
Program participants appreciate the co-generation of knowledge that can be used right away, and experience this as a learning process. For example, in Amsterdam, the participation of Turkish and Moroccan women in research on the background to overweight resulted in aerobic lessons and an intervention to improve their awareness of nutrition.

The thesis also identifies the success factors in community programs: representation of relevant societal actors including the target group; agreement and discussion on aims, objectives, tasks and roles; a communication structure, visibility and management.

Title thesis: "Community health promotion. Facilitating and evaluating coordinated action to create supportive social environments."

» More information: www.phs.wur.nl
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