Assessing public health intervention practices in a Danish municipality: applying criteria based on the European Community Health Promotion Indicator Development (EUHPID) model.

AIM: To develop a set of assessment criteria and assess public health interventions at municipal level in Denmark using the European Community Health Promotion Indicator Development (EUHPID) model to support more effective planning and funding allocation in public health. METHODS: Based on knowledge synthesis, a set of assessment criteria were developed to classify interventions into the four types of public health provided by the EUHPID model: health promotion, health protection, disease prevention, and health care. Information was then collected on all current public health interventions in Varde Municipality within a 3-month period in spring 2009. Finally, the interventions were categorised using the developed assessment criteria. RESULTS: The knowledge synthesis process resulted in the development of a set of assessment criteria and the 154 reported public health interventions were divided into relevant types using these criteria. 57% of the interventions were based on a salutogenic health promotion approach, 33% on a pathogenic disease prevention approach, 10% on the pathogenic health protection approach, and 0% on the pathogenic health care approach. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment criteria based on the EUHPID model can be useful and have wider global significance for planning public health interventions, allocating appropriate funding to support public health interventions, and thereby encouraging and supporting more effective intersectoral working practices.

[New European model for cross-sectorial health initiatives]. / Ny europaeisk model til tvaersektorielt sundhedsarbejde.

Over the last years EU have been working on the development of a common classification system for health indicators. In connection with prevention and health promotion, a classification system has now been developed: the European Health Promotion Indicator Development, EUHPID. The purpose has been to establish a system of indicators to advance the focus on health promotion. Furthermore, the EUHPID can be used as a planning tool to generate higher consistency between different health promotion initiatives and other policy initiatives. This article discusses the model and its relevance in a Danish context.