Thoughts on barriers and enablers for incorporating ordinary theorising into the community participation in health debate

Abstract

The primary health care approach (World Health Organisation 1978) nominates community participation as one of its underpinning principles. Similarly, a socio-environmental model of health promotion encourages people to participate in health development and foster collective action for health (Labonte 1992). People can only participate fully in decisions about research, services and programs that influence their health if their voices are heard and taken into account.