Health education and health promotion - an Australian perspective

Abstract

THE concepts of 'health education' and 'health pro motion' provide the underlying philosophy or foun dation to the practices of the health educator. Health education, it is asserted, involves activities which facilitate voluntry adaptations to behaviour. Health promotion, on the other hand, includes health edu cation as an essential component, but can also involve other organisational, political and economic interventions which lead to improved health. Finally, health promotion initiatives are most effec tive when they are utilised in conjunction with health protection and health services initiatives. These latter three concepts form a triad that consti tutes 'health enhancement'