A common European framework on how to create healthy living environments on the local level

Abstract

Abstract In a consensus-process, 17 national and regional Public Health authorities from 13 European countries agreed upon a common Policy Framework of Action (PFA) that summarizes the current evidence making the case for healthy living environments and the role of municipalities. The PFA provides a conceptual model for interventions including an ideal process, quality criteria and guiding principles that municipal approaches should be based on. The PFA is a consensus document based on the results and decisions of the first meeting of the JAHEE-work package partners. It was then circulated among the Work package partners and the JAHEE Steering Committee in two feedback rounds. The PFA development was supported by an interdisciplinary German expert group in the field of public health. To draw up a catalogue of criteria to identify promising practice projects, a number of existing quality assurance instruments for health promotion and prevention focusing on reducing health inequalities were examined and central aspects of the various instruments were identified. The suggested catalogue of criteria is based on good practice as defined by European experience (EQUIHP, JANPA, CHRODIS, INHERIT and the good practice criteria of the German network Equity in Health). These instruments were systematically compared and the criteria found in most instruments were included in the criteria catalogue for the PFA. Result: 16 good-practice-criteria could be identified - such as “target group orientation”, “concept driven strategy”, “empowerment”, “networking” etc. These criteria form an essential basis for the further partner process in the Joint Action. Furthermore, the PFA provides a conceptual model for interventions including an ideal process based on the public health action cycle and guiding principles that municipal approaches should include.