Ethical Dilemmas In Health Promotion

Abstract

iront of identifuing the sources 3anada requities among the Canadian fferent socio-economic grouPs rtions to promote health equitv nity-based policy solutions to ,ersisting and widening inequr-ion: Health Equity through Aoion Raymonil Massd anil Bryn Williams-Jones lntroduction Hardly anyone will question the positive contributions of public health policies and health promotion programs to the improvement of a population's health. At first glance, goals such as the promotion of healthy lifestyles and public awareness of "at-risk" behaviours may appear sufficient to justify the ethical acceptability of health promotion interventions. But a moment's reflection makes it clear that there are many challenging questions that arise throughout the development and application of health promotion programs and policies. 15.1: Ghallenglng Questlons for Health Promotlon 1. What if the goal of promoting or protecting the common good infringes on individual civil liberties or shared values of minority cultural communities? 2. How far should we go in presenting positive (even moralizing) health information campaigns in the name of protecting public health without unduly stigmatizing people or making them feel guilty for their non-compliance? 3. Are there tensions or conflicts between the goals (and practices) of health promotion and fundamental social values such as autonomy, responsibility, social justice, or i4. beneficence? What are the consequences of the social construction of health as an ultimate social good? Health promotion is an inherently value-laden enterprise and one that can lead to major ethical dilemmas. Ethical reflection on the part of health promotion professionals is thus essential in order to understand and negotiate the potentially conflicting fundamental val-ues and interests of the diverse stakeholders (e.g., professionals, policy-makers, and citizens) involved in health promotion. Health Promotion as a Normative and Acculturative Enterprise Health promotion is, by its very nature, a normative and an acculturative enterprise. It is normative because it proposes or recommends norms about what is considered good health, what is acceptable or unacceptable risk, and what is a healthy physical and social environment.