title: Health promotion and disease prevention among nurses working in local public health organizations in Montréal, Québec.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates conceptualizations of disease prevention and health promotion (DPHP) among nurses from local public health organizations in Montréal, Québec.
  
  
  METHODS
  A collaborative qualitative study was conducted among a purposive sample of 41 nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews investigated two themes: meanings attributed to DPHP as well as nurses' recent DPHP activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the meaning attributed to prevention referred to standard definitions, health promotion was often defined as large-scale health education oriented toward the attainment of positive results, such as health and well-being. Almost completely absent from participants' discourse were central notions such as empowerment and health determinants, including socioenvironmental dimensions of health. With regard to activity descriptions, there was a very partial coverage of the full spectrum of DPHP. Participants rarely went beyond traditional health education activities aimed at an individual target. Finally, a sizeable number of participants appeared to be unable to provide a clear distinction between the terms "health promotion" and "prevention."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are consistent with a conclusion frequently drawn by commentators and researchers alike that highlight a narrow range of DPHP nursing practices.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. lucie.richard@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gendron
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beaudet
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boisvert
authors.forename: Marie Soleil
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sauvé
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Garceau-Brodeur
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006266:Health Education; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D011634:Public Health; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011792:Quebec; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires