Information on health promotion and prevention on the websites of Baden-Württemberg's public health services-afirst approach

Abstract

Health promotion and prevention are core tasks of German public health services (Öffentlicher Gesundheitsdienst). Health communication is, among other things, central to their effectiveness. As the Internet has become an important source of health information and public health services are increasingly in the public eye, their websites are gaining more focus. We therefore investigated how public health services present topics on health promotion and prevention of non-communicable diseases (HPP-NCDs) on their websites. The websites of the 38public health service departments in Baden-Wuerttemberg were examined using qualitative content analysis from June to October 2022. The presentation of the HPP-NCDs topic on the websites as well as the relevant measures were documented. For each measure/activity the addressed target group, the topic, and the type of intervention was collected. The HPP-NCDs topic is addressed on all websites (n = 38); however, the presentation style is heterogeneous. Atotal of 243 HPP-NCDs measures/activities were identified across the 38websites. There was abroad spectrum of topics, target groups, and types of intervention used in the measures/activities presented. The study shows an extensive but heterogeneous presentation of HPP-NCDs on the websites of public health services. In doing so, they are caught between the requirements of public relations and health information. The use of synergy effects through the joint promotion of nationally relevant informational materials and measures could be beneficial for public health services.