This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Naaldenberg, J. Articles by de Hoog, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Naaldenberg, J. Articles by de Hoog, K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Elaborating on systems thinking in health promotion practice

Wageningen UR, Department of Social Sciences, Division Public Health and Society, Wageningen, The Netherlands, Jenneken.naaldenberg{at}wur.nl

Lenneke Vaandrager

Wageningen UR, Department of Social Sciences, Division Public Health and Society, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Maria Koelen

Wageningen UR, Department of Social Sciences, Division Communication and Innovation Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Anne-Marie Wagemakers

Wageningen UR, Department of Social Sciences, Division Public Health and Society, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Hans Saan

Kees de Hoog

Wageningen UR, Department of Social Sciences, Division Public Health and Society, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Health and well-being are the result of a series of complex processes in which an individual interacts with other people and the environment. A systematic approach ensures incorporation of individual, ecological, social and political factors. However, interactions between these factors can be overlooked within a systematical approach. A systemic approach can provide additional information by incorporating interactions and communication. The opportunities of a systems thinking perspective for health promotion were investigated for this paper. Although others have also made attempts to explore systems thinking in the field of health promotion, the implications of systems thinking in practice need attention. Other fields such as agricultural extension studies, organizational studies and development studies provide useful experiences with the use of a systems thinking perspective in practice. Building on experiences from these fields, we give a theoretical background in which processes of social learning and innovation play an important role. From this background, we derive an overview of important concepts for the practical application of a systems thinking perspective. These concepts are the structure of the system, meanings attached to actions, and power relations between actors. To make these concepts more explicit and reduce the theoretical character of systems thinking, we use an illustration to elaborate on these concepts in practice. For this purpose, we describe a health promotion partnership in The Netherlands using the concepts structure, meaning and power relations. We show how a systems perspective increases insight in the functioning of a partnership and how this can facilitate processes of social learning and innovation. This article concludes by identifying future opportunities and challenges in adopting systems thinking for health promotion practice. A systems perspective towards health promotion can help projects reaching a more integral and sustainable approach in which the complex nature of health promotion processes is supported. Practical applications of systems thinking are necessary to adapt this perspective. (Global Health Promotion, 2009; 16 (1): pp. 39—47)

Key Words: health promotion • complexity • collaboration • systems thinking

Global Health Promotion, Vol. 16, No. 1, 39-47 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1757975908100749


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?