CHALLENGE

It is necessary for academics to analyze the health promotion approaches in a country comprehensively, considering the most relevant factors and their linkages. In her thesis, Stefanie Harsch (University of Education, Freiburg, Germany) explored health promotion in a South-Asian country, but she was struggling. She found that most of the commonly used models in health promotion only focus on a selective part of the picture, rather than providing examples of how to bring all the  piece of the puzzle (including values) together.

SOLUTION

When Stefanie discovered the Circle of Health©, she was astonished by its clarity, usability, and all-inclusiveness, and  used the CoH to  re-analyze her findings. She found it much easier to see the whole picture, to identify the strengths and limitations of the existing health promotion strategies and to present her findings. As well as being holistic, she found the Circle of Health© more relevant than other models because it also includes values and recognition of a spiritual aspect (two of the most influential aspects of health in the country studied). Currently, she is using the Circle of Health© in her teaching, introducing students to it and encouraging them to use it as an assessment and planning tool.

Contributor:
Stefanie Harsch, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

2018