Some problems in health promotion research

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Abstract
It is argued that health promotion research faces three critical problems: defining adequate research questions; identifying appropriate areas for research and developing a theoretical basis for problem formulation. it is suggested that if health promotion research is to be a vigorous part of the emerging discipline of health promotion, rather than simply an evaluative tool, and if health promotion research is to be distinguished from epidemiology, sociology, psychology, politics or economics with a health promotion angle, then these three problems must be resolved The origins of the difficulties associated with problem definition, priority areas for research and adequate theoretical tools are traced in the first instance to the idealistic and programmatic nature of health promotion and the conflation of ‘is’ and ‘ought to be’ questions in the idealism. The ‘ought to be’ nature of health promotion carries important implications for behavioural and social change. It is argued that for the most part the normative and scientific issues surrounding change have not been disentangled and that neither have the contributions of the disciplines which have studied social and behavioural change had much impact on health promotion. These problems manifest themselves in studies and practice involving empowerment, enablement and healthy public policy. it is concluded that the role of research in health promotion must be clarified and a shift away from the pathogenic paradigm encouraged.

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