Policy- and system-level approaches to health promotion in Australia.

Abstract

This issue of Health Education & Behavior presents articles from researchers and practitioners in Australia who are working to create supportive political and social environments for health. Much of what happens in health promotion in Australia at the individual, workplace, group, or community level shares similarities with interventions conducted by colleagues across the world. What differs, and what visitors to Australia often remark on, is the high degree of public acceptance of, and legislative-level support for, promotive and protective health practices. At a national level, these include, for example, extensive regulation of smoking in public spaces, vehicle passenger safety restraints, blood alcohol restrictions for drivers supported by random breath testing, bicycle helmet laws, private swimming pool fencing regulations, gun control legislation, and laws preventing the use of hand-held mobile phones in moving vehicles. In this editorial, we briefly describe the Australian context, give a brief overview of the articles in this special issue, and attempt to account for how and why health promotion in Australia has developed a strong policy and system-level focus. 1 Australia is roughly the size of the United States with a population of 19 million people. The population is culturally and linguistically diverse. Indigenous Australians make up 2% of the population. Currently, 8 million residents were born overseas or have parents who were born overseas. More than 280 languages are spoken, including 170 Australian indigenous languages. A language other than English is spoken at home by 16% of the population. Universal access to publicly funded health care has been provided through