Key areas of prevention and health promotion in Bavaria. An empirical analysis

Background. Based on a parliamentary mandate a comprehensive survey on projects of health promotion and disease prevention was conducted in Bavaria. Methods. Institutions and their umbrella organizations active in health promotion and disease prevention were contacted with a structured questionnaire via a snowball system. Results. The main areas of activity among 1,280 projects that were active in 2004 were nutrition/physical activity, tobacco/alcohol/illegal drug dependencies, health resources, AIDS prevention and sexual activity, and clinical preventive services. The leading methods were counseling and provision of information. The main target groups were adults (24%), young people (17%), and children (12%). Few projects (< 3%) focused especially on socially disadvantaged groups. Fewer than half of the projects had a documentation process in place, and less than one of four conducted a formal evaluation. Conclusions. An improved culture of documentation and evaluation, formal networks among projects and institutions, and the assurance of the necessary local capacities and competencies are important areas for further development in this field.