9.5 Benefits of targeting settings

BOX 9.5

Benefits of targeting settings

• Focusing on the setting can provide a good basis for promoting health equity in all policies.

• Focusing intensively on people living in less-advantaged circumstances within a setting can contribute to leveling up the health gradient.

• Providing additional resources to lower socioeconomic areas can contribute to leveling up the health gradient.

• Focusing on an issue within a setting, rather than on a group, can both avoid stigmatizing one group and open up access to others who temporarily or permanently face the same issue.

• making changes such as increasing green space, improving public transport, and increasing the healthy food supply can make healthier choices more available and affordable. Such changes may be beneficial for people’s health.

• Focusing on settings also can address some socioeconomic factors and increase the likelihood that all groups will adopt healthy behaviors.

• Combining healthy settings approaches with other approaches (for example, environmental initiatives) can provide wins for all sectors that are working together.

Note: Based on Newman et al. 2015.

agriculture, sports, transport, communication, urban planning, environment, labor, employment, industry and trade, finance, and social and economic development).

Reaching subnational levels

multilevel interventions need to reach all administrative levels and places where people live and work (national,regional, andlocal levels, including local communities and municipalities). Working at all levels requires adapting interventions to different settings, as indicated by the Ottawa Charter on Health Promotion (WHO 1986).

Monitoring and evaluation at all phases and levels

The master plan will need to be monitored and evaluated at all stages and phases of its implementation. The monitoring and evaluation framework will be an integral part of the master plan and could be based on three dimensions (structure,