About WACHPR
The WA Centre for Health Promotion Research (WACHPR) is a multi-disciplinary research centre within the School of Public Health and contributes to the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute. The WACHPR was established in 1986 and was the first research centre in health promotion to be established by an Australian university.
WACHPR views health promotion as a combination of educational, organisational, economic, social and political actions designed with meaningful participation, to enable individuals, groups and whole communities to increase control over, and to improve their health through attitudinal, behavioural, social and environmental changes (Howat, Maycock et al , 2003).
WACHPR is committed to building evidence and capacity in health promotion theory, practice and evaluation through applied and participatory research. Grounded in an understanding of social determinants of health and a commitment to social justice and ethical practice, WACHPR will focus on vulnerable or most at risk communities and populations and work in partnership with the most relevant community, government, research and private organisations.
WACHPR has built and demonstrated high level expertise and research strength in:
- the design, planning, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of quality integrated health promotion programs;
- building sustained partnerships and collaborations with vulnerable and most at risk communities and relevant community, government and private sector organisations;
- health promotion approaches using community and settings based interventions, peer and social influence, social marketing, advocacy, community mobilisation and sector capacity building;
- health promotion that improves outcomes in nutrition, physical activity, mental health, sexual health, drug use and injury prevention;
- promotion and dissemination of evidence based practice and building practice based evidence; and
- provision of research training and capacity building techniques to undergraduate and postgraduate students, allied health promotion professionals and community workers.