ABSTRACT
Health promotion was virtually unknown before the 1970s and now health information is everywhere, on television and radio, in shops, in newspapers and presented on high street billboards. Much of what we consume, wash in, wear or drive has a health or lifestyle message selling it. Health messages can range from the fruit and vegetables five-a-day campaign to facecreams that remove the signs of ageing and keep you feeling young. Health information is provided in a myriad of different formats (often within the health belief model), and can be influenced by many different elements such as who is sponsoring the campaign, the time available to present the information and the groups being targeted. The ability to provide and assess the quality of information is an important skill for anyone undertaking health promotion activities. The aim of this chapter is to explore the different formats used to provide information in health promotion and how the quality of information given or received can be assessed.
