How to move towards evidence-based health promotion interventions.

This paper addresses the question of how to move towards evidence-based health promotion interventions. The first part explains the current work of the International Working Group on Evaluating Health Promotion Approaches, recently set up by the European Office of WHO. Next it points out the need for reaching a common understanding regarding certain conceptual, philosophical, methodological and practical issues concerning evaluation, evidence, impact and effectiveness. In the third section, five methodological and political issues are given specific attention. Finally, it concludes with a few remarks on the need to steer the debate on evidence-based health promotion and avoid passively adopting inappropriate ways of assessing the impact of health promotion.