The Impact of the Red Lotus Critical Health Promotion Model on Graduates’ Health Promotion Practice

Abstract

The Red Lotus Critical Health Promotion Model (RLCHPM) is used in health promotion teaching, research and practice in multiple countries. The model is designed to support critical health promotion as a public health practice, and responds to calls to move practice away from biomedical-behavioural approaches to health promotion. The RLCHPM includes of a system of values and principles for critical practice including health equity, holistic health paradigm, strengths-based salutogenic approaches, socioecological science, non-maleficence, and empowering engagement processes. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the RLCHPM on the practice of graduates from health promotion programs from a university in Australia. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods study involving an online survey of graduates from 2008 to 2016, followed by semi-structured interviews with a subset of self-nominated respondents. We used descriptive analyses for survey data and thematic analysis for interview data. Results: There was a total of 95 respondents (49% response rate) and 10 of these were interviewed. Participants felt knowledgeable about the model, and confident about their ability to use it. The model was understandable, easy to use, and important, relevant and useful in practice. More than half felt that the model had an impact on their health promotion practice, however less than a quarter felt that the model had an impact on institutional policies in their workplace. Interview data revealed the need for a step-by-step guide for implementing the model in multiple sectors, access to ongoing support for model implementation, and clearer links to other relevant models. Conclusions: The RLCHPM is well understood and considered to be important, relevant and useful to the practice of graduates. The study has implications for the use of the model in health promotion degree programs, and in professional development programs for health promotion practitioners.