Environmental resource management

Ecosystem

Conceptual model

Public health

Ecological health

Enthusiasm

Biology

Politics

Engineering

Nursing

Political science

Psychology

Social ecological model

Health promotion

Ecology

Computer science

Management science

Environmental science

Ecological psychology

Medicine

Database

Social psychology

Promotion (chess)

Annual Review of Public Health

Since the 1980s, ecological models of health promotion have generated a great deal of enthusiasm among researchers and interventionists. These models emerged from conceptual developments in other fields, and only selected elements of the ecological approach have been integrated into them. In this article, we describe the tenets of the ecological approach and highlight those aspects that have been integrated into ecological models used in health promotion. We also analyze how ecological models have been applied to the study of two important public health issues, namely physical activity promotion and the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, by conducting an archival study of published research. Finally, we make a statement regarding the usefulness of ecological models for research and practice and propose recommendations for future research, program planning, and evaluation.

Ecological Models Revisited: Their Uses and Evolution in Health Promotion Over Two Decades