The Population-Health Approach

The Alberta Centre for Active Living uses a population-health approach to promote and support physical activity participation. Using this approach challenges the Centre to move beyond a behavioural view of health, toward creating social and physical environments that support physical activity for Albertans of all ages, abilities, and cultures. In this approach, many individual and collective factors influence health. These factors are known as the determinants of health (see the list of determinants below).

Information about population health from other organizations.

Why the Centre Uses this Approach

Physical activity and active living fall within the determinant of personal health practices and coping skills. All of the determinants can affect physical activity participation. In turn, physical activity is one of many recognized strategies that can affect other determinants. For example, physical activity can help foster social support networks and healthy working environments. The determinants do not work in isolation—their complex interactions significantly affect the capacity of individuals to live a healthy lifestyle.

The Health Determinants

Health Canada recognizes the following determinants of health.

1. Income and Social Status
2. Social Support Networks
3. Education and Lifelong Learning
4. Employment and Working Conditions
5. Social Environments
6. Physical Environments
7. Biology and Genetic Endowment
8. Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills
9. Healthy Child Development
10. Health Services
11. Gender
12. Culture

For more information about the population-health approach, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada's website.