terveydenedistäminen

Terveydenedistäminen, often translated as health promotion, is a concept and practice that aims to enable people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It is a broader approach than disease prevention, focusing on creating environments and lifestyles that support well-being. This involves not only reducing risk factors for disease but also strengthening positive health resources.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health promotion as the process of empowering people to increase their control over and improve their health. It is a process of enabling people to take control over their lives and the factors that influence their health. This is achieved by addressing the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, alongside individual behaviors. Key strategies include health education, public policy development, and the creation of supportive environments in communities, workplaces, and schools.

Terveydenedistäminen encompasses a wide range of activities. These can include public health campaigns promoting healthy eating and physical activity, policies that make healthy choices easier (such as taxes on unhealthy products or subsidies for healthy ones), and initiatives to improve access to healthcare and social support systems. It recognizes that health is a resource for everyday life, not just the absence of disease, and that it is influenced by a multitude of factors beyond individual control. The ultimate goal is to foster healthier populations and reduce health inequalities.