Community health: an evolutionary concept analysis

Abstract

Community health: an evolutionary concept analysis. This paper is a report of a concept analysis of community health. Community health is a term that has been broadly used in both research and practice. Although local communities are invested in community health improvement, this process often occurs without a clear definition of the concept of community health. Data sources included a sample of 537 papers covering the period 1990 to 2004 and representing the disciplines of nursing, public health, medicine and sociology and landmark works concerning community health, six community health assessment instruments and interviews with seven key community health informants. Rodgers' Evolutionary Method of Concept Analysis was used to design the study and analyse the data. The professional literature was analysed and compared with the use of the concept of community health in community health assessment instruments and by key informants. Dynamic and contextual, community health is achieved through participatory, community development processes based upon ecological models that address broad determinants of health. The primary focus of this collaborative work is population-based health promotion and disease prevention. The definition derived from the concept analysis of community health makes explicit the importance of community-based participatory action in local health improvement processes. Identification of the attributes of community health will enhance communication across disciplines involved in community health practice, research and education.