title: Resources for health promotion: rhetoric, research and reality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Canadian political discourse supports the importance of health promotion and advocates the allocation of health resources to health promotion. Furthermore, the current literature frequently identifies financial and human resources as important elements of organizational capacity for health promotion. In the Alberta Heart Health Project (AHHP), we sought to learn if the allocation of health resources in a regionalized health system was congruent with the espoused support for health promotion in Alberta, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  The AHHP used a mixed method approach in a time series design. Participants were drawn from multiple organizational levels (i.e., service providers, managers, board members) across all Regional Health Authorities (RHAs). Data were triangulated through multiple collection methods, primarily an organizational capacity survey, analysis of organizational documents, focus groups, and personal interviews. Analysis techniques were drawn from quantitative (i.e., frequency distributions, ANOVAs) and qualitative (i.e., content and thematic analysis) approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In most cases, small amounts (<5%) of financial resources were allocated to health promotion in RHAs' core budgets. Respondents reported seeking multiple sources of public health financing to support their health promotion initiatives. Human resources for health promotion were characterized by fragmented responsibilities and short-term work. Furthermore, valuable human resources were consumed in ongoing searches for funding that typically covered short time periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Resource allocations to health promotion in Alberta RHAs are inconsistent with the current emphasis on health promotion as an organizational priority. Inadequate and unstable funding erodes the RHAs' capacity for health promotion. Sustainable health promotion calls for the assured allocation of adequate, sustainable financial resources.
authors.affiliation: Alberta Heart Health Project (AHHP), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharlene Wolbeck
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Minke
authors.forename: Kim D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Plotnikoff
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khalema
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D002170:Canada; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics*; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics*; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000191:economics*; D040241:Social Marketing