The current state and challenges for the future of health promotion in Polish older people.
OBJECTIVE
Still in its early stages, much work remains to be done in terms of the health promotion of older people in Poland. The aim of this paper is to present the current state of health promotion in older people in Poland on the basis of research conducted within the framework of the healthPROelderly project, presenting the state of health promotion in older people after 1989, and to provide practical recommendations for future interventions.


METHODS
(1) Content analysis of scientific and popular publications; (2) document analysis of policy papers; (3) review of existing Polish health promotion programs; (4) program case studies; (5) SWOT analysis of the state of health promotion in Poland.


RESULTS
In the past 10 years, in terms of planning and realization, efforts aimed at health promotion in older people were only sporadically realized. There were no macrostructural programs targeting this age group nor was this an element of national health policy. Only a small number of health promotion programs targeting older people were found.


CONCLUSIONS
There should be a renewed focus on health promotion, as opposed to preventing disease. Health promotion campaigns should target those with a decreased awareness of their health needs, with improvement in health status being based on increasing this awareness. In an effort to develop more health-conscious attitudes and behaviors in older age, health promotion initiatives should also be marketed to pre-retirement aged individuals.
Tobiasz-Adamczyk
Beata
B
Department of Medical Sociology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika Street 7a, 31-034, Kraków, Poland. mytobias@cyf-kr.edu.pl
Brzyska
Monika
M
Woźniak
Barbara
B
Kopacz
Marek Stanisław
MS
D000368:Aged; D015706:Bibliometrics; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D011044:Poland; D012944:Social Support