The North Karelia Project in Finland: A societal shift favouring healthy lifestyles

A portrait of the North Karelia Project, the basis for community programs in chronic disease prevention.

The winning aspects of the North Karelia approach

• Adopting a long-term vision.
• Maintaining close ties with the political bodies and decision makers concerned.
• Making the theoretical bases of the intervention explicit.
• Influencing individual and environmental factors.
• Using the media and a variety of channels for disseminating information.
• Involving champions and influential community members in the project.
• Developing collaborative cross-sector ways of changing environments.
• Mobilizing structures and networks existing in the community.

The principle to be retained

Relying on detailed knowledge of the background and conducting the intervention in collaboration with all involved stakeholders.