Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology - IBE, Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany.
Front Public Health. 2023 Jun 27;11:1111642. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1111642. eCollection 2023.
Building networks is an essential part of health promotion. However, network analysis remains relatively unexplored in this field. This study introduces a new technique that maps thematic agendas and geographical locations of health promotion actors.
This case study used elements of quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse network data. We used empirical data from two networks in Bavaria, a federal state of Germany.
We identified a total of 55 actors in the first network and 64 actors in the second. We categorized the thematic agenda of actors according to their main field of work: "healthy childhood development," "healthy middle age phase," "healthy ageing," "health equity in all phases of life." One network showed a significant surplus of actors that focus on "healthy ageing." We combined and analysed data from both networks collectively. Two districts with no health promotion actors within their geographical borders were identified. To put geographical gaps into context, data about deprivation and age was included.
Results identified geographical areas with high need for support from health promotion actors. Through comparison of our results with existing literature, we derived potential network strategies for further successful networking. This study adds a new perspective to characterize health promotion networks by mapping them thematically and geographically. The concept can be used to give health promotion organisations relevant insight into network structures. This can improve decision-making processes concerning partnership strategy and finally lead to a positive health impact. Hence, our findings encourage further development of this technique and other networking methods in the field of health equity and health promotion.
建立网络是健康促进的重要组成部分。然而，网络分析在这个领域相对较少被探索。本研究介绍了一种新的技术，用于绘制健康促进参与者的主题议程和地理位置。
本案例研究采用定量和定性方法的元素来分析网络数据。我们使用了来自德国巴伐利亚州两个网络的实证数据。
我们在第一个网络中总共确定了 55 个参与者，在第二个网络中确定了 64 个参与者。我们根据参与者的主要工作领域对其主题议程进行了分类：“健康儿童发展”、“健康中年阶段”、“健康老龄化”、“生命各阶段的健康公平”。一个网络显示出明显的“健康老龄化”关注者过剩。我们将两个网络的数据进行了组合和集体分析。确定了两个没有健康促进参与者的地区。为了将地理差距置于背景之中，我们纳入了贫困和年龄的数据。
结果确定了需要健康促进参与者支持的地理区域。通过将我们的结果与现有文献进行比较，我们得出了潜在的网络策略，以进一步实现成功的网络联系。本研究通过主题和地理映射为健康促进网络提供了一个新的视角。该概念可以用于为健康促进组织提供有关网络结构的相关见解。这可以改善关于伙伴关系战略的决策过程，并最终对健康产生积极影响。因此，我们的发现鼓励在健康公平和健康促进领域进一步发展这种技术和其他网络方法。
