Reducing risks, promoting a healthy life: the concept of risk in health promotion / Diminuindo riscos, promovendo vida saudável: o conceito de risco na promoção da saúde

ABSTRACT

The title of the 2002 World Health Organization report: “Reducing Risks, Promoting a Healthy Life” has stimulated the writing of this paper. We will seek to problematize the concepts of risk and health promotion and the possible relations between them, basing our studies on bibliographic review, categorized according to the desired problematizing. The referred title seems to suggest a connection, orin other words, the risks decrease promoting health, however, is this relation direct and simple? The present paper, in discussing conceptually risk and health promotion will seek to approach the answer to this and other questions intrinsically connected to this subject.