What is health promotion capacity? A relational perspective

Area of Science:

• Organizational Health Promotion
• Public Health Policy
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Health promotion capacity is a key concept in organizational health promotion research.
• Existing literature often views capacity as static abilities of individuals, organizations, and communities.
• A need exists for theoretical frameworks that better capture the dynamic nature of capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically discuss the theoretical foundations of health promotion capacity building literature.
• To propose an alternative theoretical perspective drawing on contemporary organizational theory.
• To offer a novel framework for understanding organizational capacity in health promotion.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of existing health promotion capacity building literature.
• Juxtaposition with the relational perspective of contemporary organizational theory.
• Case study of Danish municipal health promotion agencies using secondary sources and ethnographic fieldwork.

Main Results:

• The capacity building literature often reifies the concept of capacity.
• Health promotion capacity is dynamically defined and redefined through ongoing organizing processes.
• Health promotion officials develop a sense of capacity by adapting organizational forms amidst resource and knowledge limitations.

Conclusions:

• Organizational health promotion research should prioritize identifying organizational forms conducive to health promotion practices.
• Effective health promotion requires adaptability to shifting social circumstances.
• A novel theoretical framework is presented for understanding organizational capacity in health promotion.