Browsing by Author "Van den Broucke, Stephan"

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    Factors influencing the implementation of the Health Promoting University initiative: experiences of Ibero-American universities
    (2021) Suarez-Reyes, Monica; Munoz Serrano, Monica; Van den Broucke, Stephan
    The Health Promoting University (HPU) concept encourages universities to incorporate health into the university context. HPU initiatives exist worldwide, yet information on how universities translate the HPU concept into actions is scarce. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the implementation of HPU initiatives in Ibero-American universities. Semi-structured interviews were held with seventeen representatives of universities in Ibero-America that had implemented an HPU initiative. All interviewees had been involved in the initiative and had occupied a position of responsibility for at least 1 year before the study. The interviews were carried out remotely, and the data were analyzed using an inductive approach. The main factors influencing the implementation of an HPU initiative were political support by the university authorities, coordination structure, funding, collaboration inside and outside university and participation of the university community. Among them, political support by the university authorities was considered the most important, although some initiatives succeeded without it and managed to obtain support during the implementation process. This study is one of the first to investigate the factors influencing the implementation of the HPU concept. A better understanding of these factors would enable universities to address them to develop the HPU initiative in the best possible conditions.
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    How do universities implement the Health Promoting University concept?
    (2019) Suarez-Reyes, Monica; Munoz Serrano, Monica; Van den Broucke, Stephan
    The Health Promoting University (HPU) concept encourages universities to incorporate health into the university culture, processes and policies in an effort to promote the health of the university community. Universities worldwide have adopted the approach and a framework for action has been developed to guide universities to become a HPU. However, information on how universities translate the framework into actions is scarce. This study explored the way in which 54 universities from 25 countries across the world implemented the HPU framework. An online questionnaire was used to assess the action areas and items of work addressed by the universities and to determine their adherence to the components of the HPU framework: use of the whole systems approach; multiservice collaboration; recognition by the university authorities; funding availability; membership of a HPU network and evaluation of the initiative. The results showed that these components were addressed by most universities. A Multi Correspondence and cluster analysis identified four types of universities based on the implementation of the components: 'emerging' HPUs that are not recognized by the university authorities and tend to not apply the whole systems approach or evaluation of the initiative, and 'established' HPUs that are recognized by the authorities, apply the whole systems approach and evaluate the initiative but that differ with regard to funding and membership of a HPU network. These results demonstrate that universities implement the HPU framework for action differently in order to become a Health Promoting University.