[Institutionalization of community programs: review of theoretical models and proposal of a model-]

Community-based health promotion programs to change lifestyle habits must remain in their host organizations for extended periods of time in order to have impact. Their effectiveness can be closely linked to their long term viability or institutionalization. To remain viable, these programs must survive beyond initial investment and support by external organizations. However, some programs disappear when external investment is withdrawn. This can be costly and in addition can generate resistance to the implementation of other health promotion programs in the future. Recently, interest in the processes involved in the institutionalization of these programs has increased. Based on 28 publications, this article reviews selected conceptual models that highlight environmental, organizational, community and marketing-related, variables possibly related to the institutionalization process. A new model is proposed to link these diverse models according to: characteristics of the program, characteristics of the host organization, characteristics related to the adoption, implementation and incorporation of the program, and finally characteristics related to the fit (mutual adjustment) between the host and the program.