Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - NHS health trainers
T2 - a review of emerging evaluation evidence
AU - Attree, Pamela
AU - Clayton, Steve
AU - Karunanithi, Sithu
AU - Nayak, S
AU - Popay, Jennie
AU - Read, Donald
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Recent years have seen a change in focus in UK public health policies towards an emphasis on individual lifestyle choices. As part of this shift, NHS health trainers were introduced in disadvantaged communities in England, to provide peer support to people ‘at risk’ of developing lifestyle-related health problems and to help them to self manage their behaviour. Concerns have been expressed, however, about the strength of the evidence supporting the initiative. This article outlines a number of gaps between the theory and rhetoric underpinning the NHS health trainer initiative, and the reality in practice. This article critiques the evaluation evidence, questions the assumption that engaging lay people in health promotion activities in place of health professionals is necessarily a preferable option, identifies inconsistencies in the evidence supporting individually based health improvement initiatives, and suggests that interventions which target deprived areas but neglect the social determinants of health may be limited in their effectiveness.
AB - Recent years have seen a change in focus in UK public health policies towards an emphasis on individual lifestyle choices. As part of this shift, NHS health trainers were introduced in disadvantaged communities in England, to provide peer support to people ‘at risk’ of developing lifestyle-related health problems and to help them to self manage their behaviour. Concerns have been expressed, however, about the strength of the evidence supporting the initiative. This article outlines a number of gaps between the theory and rhetoric underpinning the NHS health trainer initiative, and the reality in practice. This article critiques the evaluation evidence, questions the assumption that engaging lay people in health promotion activities in place of health professionals is necessarily a preferable option, identifies inconsistencies in the evidence supporting individually based health improvement initiatives, and suggests that interventions which target deprived areas but neglect the social determinants of health may be limited in their effectiveness.
KW - health
KW - evaluation
KW - evidence
U2 - 10.1080/09581596.2010.549207
DO - 10.1080/09581596.2010.549207
M3 - Journal article
VL - 22
SP - 25
EP - 38
JO - Critical Public Health
JF - Critical Public Health
SN - 0958-1596
IS - 1
ER -