Health Education Research Advance Access originally published online on October 13, 2006
Health Education Research 2007 22(4):576-587; doi:10.1093/her/cyl111
Use of research by the Australian health promotion workforce
1 School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria 3550, Australia
2 Centre for Rural Mental Health, Bendigo Health Care, Bendigo, Victoria 3550, Australia
*Correspondence to: E. L. James, Department of Health and Environment, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, PO Box 199, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia. E-mail: erica.james{at}latrobe.edu.au
This paper examines the attitudes and practices of Australian health promotion practitioners toward evidence-based practice (EBP). The study used a survey methodology and questionnaires were sent to 1114 members of the Australian Health Promotion Association. A response rate of 27% (n = 277) was achieved. The data showed that the vast majority of participant's attitudes toward EBP was very welcoming. However, in practice the impact of EBP was limited. Participants identified a range of significant barriers to implementing EBP including organizational culture, policy directives and lack of resources. A range of concerns was also identified regarding the applicability of the medically based EBP model within health promotion, which is based upon a social model of health. The findings highlight the importance of acknowledging the complexity of health promotion interventions and working toward developing an appropriate evidence base.
Received on March 7, 2006; accepted on August 29, 2006