NHS health trainers : a review of emerging evaluation evidence

Attree, Pamela and Clayton, Steve and Karunanithi, Sithu and Nayak, S and Popay, Jennie and Read, Donald (2012) NHS health trainers : a review of emerging evaluation evidence. Critical Public Health, 22 (1). pp. 25-38. ISSN 0958-1596

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

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.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Critical Public Health
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739
Subjects:
?? healthevaluationevidencepublic health, environmental and occupational health ??
ID Code:
61564
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
09 Jan 2013 10:31
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 13:32