Healthy Setting Approach: Origin, Evolution, and Development; Challenges and Opportunities in the University Setting

Abstract

Presently, the Healthy Setting Approach for health promotion has become increasingly popular, and educational settings—universities and schools—are recognized as potential settings for applying this approach. The concept of health-promoting university, as a result, has become a global moment. However, the concept of a health promoting universities—unlike health-promoting schools—has achieved a relatively slower and lesser adoption rate globally, as universities are significantly complex organizational structures with diverse goals. Therefore, critical exploration of opportunities and challenges for the Healthy Setting Approach's application in the university setting is profoundly required. Additionally, to carry the above-mentioned exploration, a critical examination of the Healthy Setting Approach's policy-related and theoretical aspects would be beneficial. This review article, therefore, has a two-fold objective. First, it critically discusses Healthy Setting Approach's policy-related
and theoretical evolution. Second, it critically explores opportunities and challenges while applying the Healthy Setting Approach to the complex university setting. This article found that although the Healthy Setting Approach's policy-related progress has been remarkable, its theoretical and practice-focused model development is relatively sparse and significantly challenging. Furthermore, this article found several opportunities such as—but not limited to—mutual benefit, campus greening, student union, the UK's Healthy Universities Network, and challenges, such as—but not limited to—evaluation process, capitalism and senior decision makers' lack of understanding towards this holistic approach. Therefore, this article provides a deeper understanding of the Healthy Setting Approach's all-inclusive development and serves as a catalyst to effectively implement this approach in the complex university setting.