How to Develop a Health Promotion Plan

This guide connects a defined health need with evidence, planning decisions, quality checks, and the current assessment instructions.

Define the target population

The target population is the specific individual, group, or community whose verified health need and determinants shape the plan.

Describe:

• age or life stage;
• location or setting;
• health concern or risk;
• language and cultural context;
• access and resource conditions;
• other characteristics relevant to the intervention.

Use respectful language and avoid defining people only by risk or deficit.

Verify the priority need

A priority need is verified through relevant data, stakeholder input, evidence, and a clear explanation of its magnitude, severity, disparity, or preventability.

Use community, organizational, or scenario data to show:

• the size of the issue;
• the affected groups;
• trends;
• disparities;
• consequences;
• existing services and gaps.

A general national concern does not prove the same local need.

Distinguish determinants from individual choices

Determinants are the social, economic, environmental, organizational, and structural conditions that shape choices, access, exposure, and health outcomes.

Health behavior is influenced by knowledge, beliefs, skills, social support, cost, transportation, housing, environment, policy, discrimination, service availability, and other conditions. CDC describes social determinants as nonmedical factors and systems that shape health outcomes.^[2]

Create a simple planning logic

A planning logic connects need, determinants, resources, activities, outputs, short-term outcomes, long-term outcomes, and evaluation measures.

Write a focused problem statement

A focused problem statement identifies the population, health issue, supporting evidence, major determinants, consequences, and planning significance.

Include:

• the population;
• the issue;
• the most important evidence;
• the main determinants;
• the significance;
• the planning opportunity.

Do not describe the intervention in the first sentence as if it is already proven to be the best solution.

Set measurable objectives

Measurable objectives state the population, behavior or outcome, expected amount of change, measurement method, and deadline.

Objectives should state:

• who or what will change;
• the expected direction or amount;
• the measure;
• the timeframe;
• the setting or conditions when needed.

Separate implementation objectives from health outcomes. For example, delivering education sessions is an output; improved ability to use the information is an outcome.

Use Healthy People objectives carefully

A Healthy People 2030 objective supplies national context or a benchmark only when its population, measure, and health issue match the plan.

Healthy People 2030 objectives can provide national context, definitions, baseline data, and targets.^[3] Select an objective that genuinely matches the population and issue. Do not copy a national target as a local target without considering baseline and capacity.

Select an evidence-based intervention

An evidence-based intervention is supported by credible research or systematic evidence and fits the population, determinants, setting, resources, and objective.

Healthy People’s evidence-based resources summarize reviews of interventions intended to improve health.^[4] Evaluate:

• effectiveness;
• population similarity;
• setting;
• feasibility;
• reach;
• equity;
• cost and resources;
• sustainability;
• possible harms.

Adapt without removing core components

Adaptation changes delivery for local fit while preserving the components responsible for the intervention’s intended effect.

An intervention may require adaptation for language, culture, setting, staffing, technology, or access. Identify which components are essential to the mechanism and which can be modified with stakeholder input.

Engage the population and partners

Population and partner engagement improves relevance, feasibility, trust, access, delivery, evaluation, and sustainability.

Partners may include:

• community members;
• patients and caregivers;
• nurses and other clinicians;
• schools or employers;
• faith and cultural organizations;
• public health agencies;
• social services;
• local leaders;
• advocacy groups.

Engagement should shape the message, delivery, access strategy, and evaluation.

Address health literacy

Health literacy requires information and services that people can find, understand, evaluate, and use for a health-related decision or action.

CDC defines health literacy as the ability to find, understand, and use information and services for health-related decisions, while also recognizing the responsibility of organizations to make information usable.^[5]

Use:

• one clear main message;
• plain language;
• specific actions;
• familiar words;
• readable visuals;
• appropriate numbers;
• opportunities to ask questions;
• audience testing.

Use inclusive and culturally responsive communication

Inclusive and culturally responsive communication respects language, identity, values, accessibility, history, trust, and community-defined preferences.

Consider:

• preferred language;
• trusted messengers;
• beliefs and experiences;
• accessibility;
• digital access;
• stigma;
• historical and institutional trust;
• family or community roles.

Avoid assuming that one cultural characteristic applies to every member of a group.

Choose delivery channels that fit the audience

Delivery channels should match where the audience receives information, accesses services, practices skills, and seeks support.

Options may include:

• individual education;
• group sessions;
• community events;
• peer educators;
• print materials;
• text or digital communication;
• social media;
• navigation and referral;
• environmental or policy support.

Use more than one channel when access and reinforcement require it.

Plan resources and responsibilities

Resource planning assigns people, time, materials, technology, funding, permissions, locations, and responsibilities to each activity.

Identify:

• program lead;
• educators or facilitators;
• community partners;
• materials;
• space or technology;
• training;
• translation and accessibility support;
• data collection;
• budget categories;
• timeline.

Define process measures

Process measures show whether the planned activities reached the intended population and were delivered with the expected dose, timing, and fidelity.

Process measures may include:

• number reached;
• participation rate;
• dose or frequency delivered;
• fidelity;
• referrals completed;
• materials distributed;
• audience satisfaction;
• partner participation.

Define outcome measures

Outcome measures show whether knowledge, behavior, access, clinical indicators, service use, or other targeted results changed.

Outcome measures may include:

• knowledge or skill;
• confidence;
• intention;
• service access;
• behavior;
• clinical or community indicator;
• equity in reach or outcome;
• maintenance over time.

Choose outcomes that can plausibly change within the project period.

Include balancing and equity measures

Balancing measures detect unintended burden or harm, while equity measures show whether access and outcomes differ across relevant groups.

Check whether the program:

• reaches only people who already have access;
• creates cost or transportation burdens;
• widens a digital divide;
• uses language that stigmatizes;
• shifts workload without support;
• produces different outcomes across groups.

Plan evaluation before delivery

Evaluation must be designed before delivery so each objective has a measure, baseline, target, data source, collection schedule, and responsible person.

Define:

• baseline;
• data source;
• collection method;
• time points;
• responsible person;
• privacy safeguards;
• analysis approach;
• how results will guide revision.

Plan sustainability

Sustainability explains how ownership, funding, workflow integration, workforce capacity, partnerships, monitoring, and adaptation will continue after initial delivery.

Sustainability may require:

• integration into existing services;
• training new staff;
• stable funding;
• partner ownership;
• updated materials;
• regular data review;
• continued community feedback;
• policy or workflow support.

Use a clear health promotion plan structure

A clear health promotion plan moves from population need and determinants to objectives, intervention, delivery, resources, evaluation, equity, and sustainability.

Common health promotion plan mistakes

Common planning mistakes disconnect the intervention from local need, determinants, measurable objectives, realistic resources, or evaluation evidence.

• Choosing a topic without local or scenario evidence.
• Blaming individuals for structural barriers.
• Using vague objectives.
• Selecting an intervention based only on popularity.
• Ignoring culture, language, and health literacy.
• Assuming information alone changes behavior.
• Measuring attendance but no outcomes.
• Ignoring unequal reach.
• Providing clinical recommendations without current authority.
• Omitting sustainability.

Final health promotion plan checklist

The final checklist confirms that the plan is evidence based, population specific, measurable, equitable, feasible, evaluable, and sustainable.

• The population and priority need are clearly defined.
• Assessment data and determinants support the plan.
• Objectives are measurable and time bound.
• The intervention is supported by appropriate evidence.
• Adaptation and core components are distinguished.
• Community members and partners influence planning.
• Health literacy, culture, accessibility, and equity are addressed.
• Resources, responsibilities, and delivery channels are defined.
• Process, outcome, balancing, and equity measures are included.
• Evaluation and sustainability are planned.