Health Promotion Glossary 2021

Abstract

Lay summary The Health Promotion Glossary 2021 is designed to help clarify the meaning and relationship between terms commonly used in health promotion. This is the first full review and revision of the Glossary in over 20 years. It reflects the continued evolution and development of concepts since the 1998 Glossary, providing an updated overview of the many ideas which are central to contemporary health promotion. The aim of the Glossary is to facilitate communication among the professions and sectors working in health promotion. The list of terms in the Glossary is not intended to be either exhaustive or exclusive, and draws upon the wide range of disciplines from which health promotion has its origins. The definitions should not be regarded as ‘the final word’ on the terms included. Definitions by their very nature are restrictive, often representing summaries of complex ideas and actions. The use of terms will often be context-specific, and influenced by different social, cultural and economic conditions in countries and communities. Despite these obvious restrictions, the glossary has been assembled to enable as wide an audience as possible to understand the basic ideas and concepts which are central to the development of health promotion.