Health promoting universities: concept, experience and framework for action.

Abstract

Universities committed to the principles of health for all and sustainable development can be a tremendous asset to their staff and students, to the communities in which they are located and to the wider society where their students and trainees will eventually assume professional roles. This is a working document that explores, visualizes and develops the health-promoting potential of universities. It aims to provide conceptual and practical guidance on how to set up and develop a health-promoting university project. Many people intuitively understand the concept of a health-promoting university. The meaning, however, the scope and focus of university actions aiming at promoting health, can vary widely. This variation can be partly explained by differences in the perception of health and its determinants and partly by the interests, strategic choices and the power and authority of the health advocates for the university. The approach and guidance offered in this document are firmly rooted in the principles of health for all and sustainable development, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and the theory of and experience with settings-based projects. Introducing such concepts as the settings approach to health promotion and organizational development for health promotion could be impossible without first grasping health in its broadest sense. Indeed, broadening the understanding of health among university executives and academic disciplines is a crucial step in any attempt to introduce and encourage comprehensive health-promoting university projects.