Charting the future of community health promotion: recommendations from the National Expert Panel on Community Health Promotion

• Published in: Preventing chronic disease Vol. 4; no. 3; p. A68
• Main Authors: Navarro, Amanda M, Voetsch, Karen P, Liburd, Leandris C, Giles, H Wayne, Collins, Janet L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 01.07.2007
• Series: Peer Reviewed
• Subjects: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); Communication; community health; community health promotion; Community Health Services - economics; Community Health Services - organization & administration; Complementary Therapies; Financing, Government; Health Promotion - economics; Health Promotion - methods; Health Promotion - standards; Humans; Mental Health; National Expert Panel on Community Health Promotion; National Health Programs - economics; Population Surveillance; Public Health - manpower; Public Health - standards; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Special Topic; Spirituality; United States; United States
• ISSN: 1545-1151; 1545-1151

In the decades since chronic illnesses replaced infectious diseases as the leading causes of death, public health researchers, particularly those in the field of health promotion and chronic disease prevention, have shifted their focus from the individual to the community in recognition that community-level changes will foster and sustain individual behavior change. The former emphasis on individual lifestyle change has been broadened to include social and environmental factors, often without increased resources. To find new ways to support community health promotion at the national level, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Division of Adult and Community Health invited an external panel of experts to participate in the National Expert Panel on Community Health Promotion. This article highlights the process through which the expert panel developed its eight recommendations. The recommendations include issues related to community-based participatory research and surveillance, training and capacity building, new approaches for health and wellness, and changes in federal investments. They illustrate the steps needed to broaden the traditional scope of public health and to advance a new vision for improving community health and wellness.