Arts interventions, such as singing in a choir to improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are considered noninvasive, low-risk treatment options and are increasingly being used by Member States to supplement more traditional biomedical treatments. The Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report...
The Health Evidence Network (HEN) is an information service for public health decision-makers
in the WHO European Region, in action since 2003 and initiated and coordinated by the WHO
Regional Office for Europe under the umbrella of the European Health Information Initiative (a
multipartner network coord...
This review focuses on national and subnational Mediterranean diet (MD) and Nordic diet (ND) interventions and policies in the WHO European Region. In the context of increasing noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden and unhealthy diets, there is a need to continue identifying optimal, evidence-informed die...
Health literacy is gaining increasing attention as a means of promoting health. This evidence synthesis describes health literacy policies in the WHO European Region: their distribution, organizational levels, antecedents, actors, activities and outcomes, along with the factors influencing their effectiv...
Interpretive front-of-pack food labelling (FOPL) is a policy priority for promoting healthy diets. Research evidence indicates that consumers have a reasonable understanding of interpretive FOPL systems and their understanding improves with label familiarity and consistency within the market. A governmen...
Intersectoral collaboration between the health and the social welfare, education or labour sectors can help to influence the social determinants of health. Funding such collaboration can be difficult as these sectors may be subject to very different regulatory structures, incentives and goals. This revie...
School health promotion, based on a wide range of research and practice, has evolved over the course of the last 50 years, alongside health promotion in other settings. During the 1990s, WHO, working jointly with the European Commission and the Council of Europe, developed the health promoting schools in...
Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in Europe. In the European Region, the growing prevalence of overweight – a body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m2 – ranges from about 25% to 75% of the adult population. Up to a third of the adult population, about 130 million people, are obese – with...
In Europe, the number of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing. More infections of heterosexuals are appearing, and young people and women are becoming more vulnerable. For these people, the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) now allows them to li...
Many disease prevention and health promotion programmes are directed at the health of children and young people because they can prevent both immediate problems (mortality and morbidity) and long-term problems. However, even where there is evidence to support such public health interventions, implementat...
