Definition of Health Promotion: Part III: Expanding the Definition

Michael P. O’Donnell, M.B.A., M.P.H., is Publisher of the American Journal of Health Promotion and Director of Health Promotion and Wellness at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. In our first and second issues of the Journal, we published our definition of health promotion in two short articles. 1,2 While these articles addressed the dimensions of optimal health and the levels of health promotion interventions, they failed to provide a concise definition encompassing both of these. As a result, some of our readers, and some other publications have misunderstood our definition of health promotion. Most specifically, we want to underscore our longstanding recognition of the importance of environment in shaping lifestyle practices. Therefore, we are expanding our definition of health promotion. The original and revised definitions are below.