National Health Promotion Strategy

The National Health Promotion Strategy (2000-2005) identified a range of population groups, settings and topics for health promotion action. This strategy clearly named youth organisations and the out-of-school settings as having an essential role in promoting health with young people.

Children and young people were identified as priortity population groups and the youth sector was identified as a key setting for health promotion. Specifically, a strategic aim was “to continue to develop and promote the role of health promotion within the youth sector”, while one of the objectives was to “facilitate youth organisations and relevant bodies to address the health needs of young people identified as being ‘at risk’.”

This strategy identified the National Youth Health Programme as continuing to have a key role and responsibility for the provision of health promotion training for groups and youth workers using both a topics and settings approach.

Definition of Health

Health is the extent to which an individual or group is able, on the one hand, to realise aspirations and satisfy needs; and on the other hand, to change or cope with the environment… A resource for life, not an object of living; it is a positive concept emphasising social and personal resources as well as physcial capabilities. WHO 1986

Health promotion is:

the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. WHO 1986

  • Physical health
  • Mental health
  • Social health
  • Emotional health
  • Spiritual health
  • Sexual health
  • Societal health
  • Environmental health

To empower individuals and communities towards better health through supportive environments.

Health Promotion is aimed at:

  • Individuals
  • Communities
  • Organisations
  • Populations
  • Health Issues
  • Advocacy
  • Mediation
  • Enablement
  • Health Education
  • Organisational Development
  • Community Development
  • Policy Development
  • Research
  • Professional Development
  • Legal and Economic Regulation

NYCI Youth Health Promotion Manual

This manual aims to introduce those working with young people to good practice in health promotion. It is designed to be used by:

  • Anyone working with young people with an understanding and appreciation of youth health
  • Participants on the Specialist Certificate in Youth Health Promotion
  • Organisations undertaking the Health Quality Mark
  • Those undertaking specific National Youth Health Programme training
  • Those engaged in youth health-related programme delivery
  • Those engaged in youth health-related policy development

Guidelines on Health Promotion

This model provides a framework for the development for health promotion practice and policy of youth organisations and acknowledges the underlying necessity for good practice in this area at all times.

This model is a cyclical model and each stage in the cycle is related to the next. No stage should be addressed in isolation e.g the implementation of any programme is informed by effective planning and appropriate needs assessment.

Furthermore, each stage is directly related to the policy and good practice which underpins every aspect of this work within youth organisations.

Guidelines on Health Promotion

Health Promotion News

Young Men’s Mental Health ‘Take the Time and Make the Time’

The NYCI Youth Health Programme has created this video to highlight issues experienced by young men around mental health.

Read what the class of 2017/2018 thought of the Specialist Certificate in Youth Health Promotion

In the academic year 2017/2018, the National Youth Health Programme in collaboration with National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) hosted the Specialist Certificate in Youth Health […]

Submission to the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on the topic of Childhood Obesity

NYCI’s National Youth Health programme (NYHP) sent a submission paper to the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on Tackling Childhood Obesity. The NYHP has outlined […]

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