ABSTRACT
This chapter defines community health and the development of community health and the community health program in Australia. The term ‘community health’ has many different meanings in Australia. The most common interpretation is that community health refers to state public health systems where community health nurses work. Community health is concerned with illness as it affects groups or communities, not solely with individuals presenting with illness. Community health monitors the distribution and changing patterns of illness. The socio-environmental approach to health promotion entails a community development approach to health enhancement. The umbrella term ‘community organisation’ has become a recognised process in health promotion. Community development is widely accepted in health promotion practice, and has become an accepted strategy in program development and implementation. Community health promotion approaches to multicultural communities take various forms. Community health promotion also includes the collective efforts of communities to enhance their health.
