Evaluating Health Promotion

This practical guide for graduate, PG and practitioners of health promotion and public health describes methods by which health promotion can be evaluated. Practical examples are given and the book will help practitioners design and implement appropriate and informative evaluations.

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Health promotion is a newly emerging discipline and there is little in the way of practical help for students and practitioners of health promotion in choosing and implementing appropriate evaluation methods. At a time when there is increasing emphasis on cost-effective health services and evidence-based health care, health promotion cannot ignore the demands for adequate evaluation and accurate, reliable and valid methods to carry out this evaluation. This book provides clear descriptions (with examples) of such methods, and of the problems that can arise from their implementation. The book begins by setting the concepts of health promotion and of evaluation in their historical context and highlighting key issues in the evaluation of health promotion interventions. Several qualitative and quantitative methods which are commonly used are described and the problems and benefits which arise with their use are explained. In the second part of the book, experiences in the practical implementation of evaluation in a variety of settings are described.
The main theme throughout the book is that health promotion is multidisciplinary and therefore the evaluation of health promotion requires a mixture of methods and a firm commitment to multidisciplinary working. The book is written in a highly accessible way with a clear lay out and numerous boxes highlighting key issues, making it an invaluable source for all graduate and Post-graduate students of health promotion and public health. Practitioners of health promotion will find that this book provides a clear practical guide to common methods of evaluation and will help them design and implement appropriate and informative evaluations.