RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Conflict And Compromise In Health Promotion Research: A Quest For Illumination

Professor Keith Tones

Leeds Metropolitan University

It is increasingly acknowledged that research is not an objective and values free pursuit of scientific truth In the first place, there are typically a number of different 'stakeholders' in the research process: in addition to the researchers themselves, funding bodies, health practitioners and their managers - and politicians generally - all may have different and often conflicting interests and expectations of the research process. In the second place, health promotion researchers typically represent a wide variety of disciplines - including psychology, medicine, epidemiology, sociology, anthropology and education. They, therefore, bring to the research process, not only different methodological traditions but also different epistemological perspectives. In short, they are likely to disagree about what is good research practice and, very importantly for heath promotion, what characterizes reliable and valid evidence of effectiveness and efficiency.

The lecture will briefly examine one important source of conflict - sometimes discussed in terms of conflict between traditional positivist medical modal approaches and the inter-pretivist approach associated with a sociological view of the world. Although, the lecture will argue for a compromise position, it will challenge the barrenness of traditional epidemiological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of health promotion programmes and will emphasise the importance of looking for a new and broad ranging 'portfolio' of evidence based on the notion of triangulation. Since the randomised controlled trial is rarely appropriate for health promotion research, it will be argued this 'portfolio of evidence' will provide the essential 'illumination' which health promotion needs if it is to improve its practice and achieve its goals.

The goals heath promotion are essentially those which are encapsulated in the Ottawa Charter. Accordingly, the research philosophy described in the lecture will be based on a short review of' the 'anatomy and ideology' of health promotion as it figures in the Ottawa Charter. The symbiotic relationship between 'healthy public policy' and health education and the centrality of empowerment in the promotion of health are considered to be particularly relevant to the formulation of effective research strategies.

Internet Explorer 5.0 or later version gives the optimal visual effect of this website.