title: An analysis of local government health policy against state priorities and a social determinants framework.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Victorian local governments are required to develop Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans that incorporate state-level health planning priorities and address the social determinants of health. This paper describes a novel method for evaluating councils' performance against these requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deductive content analysis was used to categorise all actions in 14 local government MPHWPs against Victorian state priorities as well as against social determinants of health policy areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 1,000 actions were identified. However, fewer than half directly addressed a state priority, with many actions addressing policy areas known to be broader determinants of health. In particular, there was a marked focus on leisure and culture, and on building social cohesion through changes to living and working conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Councils are working beyond state priorities and there was a clear emphasis on addressing the diverse upstream 'causes of the causes' of health, rather than health promotion behaviour change programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The approach for data analysis and presentation provides a useful method for rapid appraisal of health and wellbeing actions relative to councils', and the State's, responsibility and efficacy in public health.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Geoffrey R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Melanie T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Davern
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giles-Corti
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D006285:Health Planning; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D014739:Victoria
keywords: health policy; local government; social determinants of health