From neighbourhood and health research to health promotion practice

Research on neighbourhood and health requires a collective response to be useful. Whilst drawing on conclusions on neighbourhood and health research, this chapter analyses how this research can inform policy and health promotion practice based on the five action areas outlined by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. It gives some examples of existing or ongoing programmes to reduce health inequities between deprived and non-deprived neighbourhoods. Whilst the ultimate aim of health promotion efforts at neighbourhood level would be the healthy neighbourhood, the organising framework becomes complex and involves material and infrastructural neighbourhood features as well as the collective social functioning and practices of neighbourhoods. The strategies of the Ottawa Charter address all these areas. Programmes that involve most of the strategies and are long term have the best chance to achieve sustainable effects but require organised intersectoral collaboration between policy makers, urban planners, health and welfare service providers, educational institutions, private businesses and retailers, public health experts and community organisations.