[Social context of health promotion program evaluation]

Abstract

The concept and methodology of health promotion programmes evaluation have much in common with the evaluation of all social programmes. Its goal is to improve the decision-making and to engage the community in this process. In this way, health promotion programmes gain procedures which analyse their effectiveness and acquire social validity. The role of evaluation studies is linked with the right to possess information about factors determining community participation in the managerial process. Designing and implementing evaluation research is in contradiction with the technocratic approach to problem solving and to planning and implementing programmes, which will improve community health.