Proposals for a prevention policy: an analysis of the French report

We present here and criticize the "Proposals for a Prevention Policy" drawn up by a multidisciplinary commission in France during 1982. The Report provides original elements at three conceptual levels: (i) a socio-economic model of causality of disease with a temporal, a probabilistic and a polyfactorial dimension; (ii) a social point of view brought to the concepts of health, prevention and health promotion; (iii) general principles for preventive intervention at a population level, including a breaking with the "victim-blaming" ideology. In this Report, work is always at the very center of the analysis developed by the commission. Practically, proposals are concerning work and environment on the one hand and structures and functional of public health services on the other hand. They may appear somewhat unrealistic or not clearly detailed. But one should understand that the commission essentially proposes an attitude of active involvement on the part of social actors rather than a list of concrete proposals. Undoubtedly, this French Report poses and discusses questions which are of interest even outside of the French context.