Revitalising the Public Health Evidence Base: An Asset Model

Making sense of assets: what can an assets based approach offer public health?

“…Through consideration of the factors that promote or sustain health and well-being, advocates of an assets based approach argue that a balance could be provided to problem based or pathology driven public health (Morgan and Ziglio 2007). Such health promoting variables, often termed 'protective factors' or 'assets' form the core of a model of public health that could accentuate the positive and focus on the creation of well-being and improved quality of life.…”

Emerging Ideas Relevant to the Salutogenic Model of Health

“…Morgan and Ziglio (2007) have similar ambitions for salutogenesis, using it as one of three building blocks in their Asset Model of public health ( indicators in public health evaluation, and assets mapping as a key step in implementing policies that promote health. The aim here is not to review the Asset Model in its entirety, but rather to point out how it is an extension of the salutogenic model of health and how it builds on salutogenesis concepts.…”

“…The second slice is action-oriented, calling for a mapping of existing resources of communities and persons in public health initiatives. Building on Kretzman and McKnight (1993), Morgan and Ziglio (2007) discuss the benefits of this approach, stating that:…”

“…Morgan and Ziglio (2007) call for evaluation that includes assetsbased public health indicators, emphasizing the importance of opening up for "realistic evaluation." Morgan and Ziglio (2007) borrow an illustration from Whitehead and colleagues (2004), describing how various pieces of evidence must be fitted together to create a "jigsaw" of a fuller picture.…”

“…6.2 An asset model of public health. Reproduced from Morgan and Ziglio (2007) socioeconomic position (SEP), with the relationship between health and SEP being graded all the way up the SEP ladder (Marmot, Friel, Bell, Houweling, & Taylor, 2008). The salutogenic model of health has been used as a launching point to develop an explanation of this phenomenon, called the Margin of Resources Model-MRM (Charlton & White, 1995).…”