Analysis of the Chilean health promotion policy "Choose a Healthy Lifestyle"

Intersectoral health promotion initiatives in Chile to address obesity and non- communicable diseases have had a long history in Chile, but also a high degree of changes in their design, implementation, and financing.

To analyze the "Choose a Healthy Lifestyle" enacted by Law 20,670 under Sabatier's "Advocacy Coalition Framework" (ACF), addressing the political discussion and its execution in the subsequent governing coalitions (2011-2022).

The ACF components are the following: external events, coalitions, policy subsystem (health promotion), and policy brokers. Policy change and learning occurs when a certain level of conflict exists between coalitions. We carried out a bibliographic and literature review, including history of the Law and notes in the media.

We identified two coalitions. The first is pro-individual freedom and aims to solve the problem with education and health promotion. The second one defines the problem as structural and related to social determinants and health inequity. The first coalition launched the "Choose Healthy Liferstyle" program in 2011 when they were in executive power. After criticism from the opposition and the participation of policy brokers, the Program was institutionalized with an intersectoral vision. The lack of permanent financing affected the continuity of the policy, especially after a change in the governing coalition.

Law 20,670 falls within the ACF. However, policy learning slowed down because the problem involved social aspects, conflict between deep beliefs of both coalitions, and lack of permanent funding, thus affecting the continuity of the policy.