| Summary: | Between 1972 and 1982, a comprehensive community program to control cardiovascular diseases (CVD) was carried out in North Karelia, Finland. The program�s main objective was to reduce the prevale nc e of smoking, the concentration of cholesterol, and raised blood- pressure among the area�s population. The North Ka relia Pr oject illustrates the fundamental goals of health promotion, health communication and sharing of innovations using opinion leaders. The project�s specific activities serve as examples of how concepts from social and behavioral scien ces can be a pplied so as to red uce risk factors of transmissible ch ronic dise ase s in comm unit i es in order to re duc e the burden of said diseases. The project�s approach is based on reorganizing the community and its health communi cation strat egies represe nt a n innovation in chronic disease control. Reorganizi ng the community entails the participa tion of various social groups such as opinion leaders and the media. The experiences in North Karelia emphasize the important role playe d by opinion leaders, local me dia, and health commu nicatio n strategies. An accurate un derstanding of the community a nd close collaboration with a series of organizations have been essential e l em ents fo r succ ess. This article explains the strategies used in ca mpaigns regarding (1) informat ion to educate pe ople about the ir health and (2) persuasion to moti vate people t o take he alth y measures. A partir de 1972 se llevó a cabo un programa comunitario integral para el control de las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) en el norte de Karelia, Finlandia. El objetivo central del programa era reducir la prevalencia de fumadores, la concentración de colesterol y los valores de presión arterial en la población de la provincia. El Proyecto Karelia del Norte ilustra los objetivos fundamentales de promoción de la salud, comunicación para la salud y la difusión de las innovaciones con los líderes de opinión. Las actividades específicas del proyecto sirven como ejemplos ...
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