The Wellness Guide: towards a new model for community participation in health promotion

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Abstract
This paper describes how community participation came to play a central role in developing the Wellness Guide Project, a major new health promotion initiative of the State of California. The Guide itself was to be a simple document that would give information on how to stay well and where to find help on health-related topics. It was to be sensitive to the needs of people of all ethnic and social backgrounds, and suitable for distribution to all households in the State (10 million). The metamorphosis of the Guide is described, from early drafts, prepared by health and welfare specialists and covering traditional behavioral risk factors, to the final product, a large-format, illustrated 80-page book, written with diverse community involvement, and addressing a wide range of personal and social topics. Telephone companies and information and referral services participated in developing a cross-referral system from the Guide to new ‘Community Services’ listings in phone directories throughout the State. The community also participated in preparing a Spanish adaptation of the Guide. The project outcomes—a unique health education document, a novel referral system, and the beginnings of a new model for community participation in health promotion—are discussed.

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