Healthy Settings
“Health is created in the settings of everyday life – in the neighborhoods and communities where people live, love, work, shop and play.” – World Health Organization (WHO), 2016
Settings can be:
- Physical
- Social
- Economic
- Educational
- Recreational
- Spiritual
Examples of Healthy Settings:
- Healthy homes
- e.g.: safe homes with good heating, water, no mold.
- Health promoting schools
- e.g.: school lunch programs; extracurricular activities; vaccinations.
- Healthy hospitals
- e.g.: Healthy Food Policy for Retail that provides options that fit with Canada’s Food Guide in cafeterias, canteens, gift shops and vending machines; Nicotine Replacement Therapy that provides help for patients that experience nicotine withdrawals during their stay.
- Healthy universities
- e.g.: affordable tuition and student housing.
- Healthy cities, communities
- e.g.: smoke-free spaces, access to green space, clean air, public transportation.
- Healthy markets
- e.g.: offering local products, affordable prices.
- Healthy workplaces
- e.g.: respect for diversity; Occupational Health and Safety policies.
- Healthy correctional facilities
- e.g.: access to programs such as mental health and addictions, life skills, job preparation.
Action to promote health in different settings should focus on multiple, coordinated interventions.
Supportive environments
Supportive environments make it easier for people to make healthy choices in the settings where we live, work, learn, eat and play.
We all have a responsibility to take care of our environment, our communities and each other. When we create supportive environments, we also consider how culture impacts our health. Culture includes things like our language, religion, education, upbringing, ideas, customs, etc. As technology changes, we also need to make sure that our online environments are safe. With the changes in technology, we also need to look at how we can make the online environment safe (Safe and Supportive Environments, PDHPE).
Creating supportive environments is one of the five areas of the Ottawa Charter of Health Promotion. To learn more about the Ottawa Charter, watch the following video:
Services related to this information:
- Contact your Public Health Nurse
- 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555