Table 3 Categories of actors potentially involved in population health interventions
Actor category | Definition |
|---|---|
Macro-environmental | Actors at organisational level such as industries, services or supporting infrastructure, which operate at international, national or local level, e.g. food manufacturers, local or national governments. It was rarely possible to specify macro-environmental actors; however, it was clear that action was required at this level to initiate or implement interventions |
Micro-environmental | Actors at the level of individual spaces or naturally occurring groups of places where people gather for specific purposes, e.g. actors within schools, individual supermarkets, restaurants, parks. These are usually geographically distinct, relatively small and potentially influenced by individuals |
Informal gatekeepers | Actors linked to the intended recipient in a nonprofessional manner, e.g. parents. These informal gatekeepers must change their behaviour in order for the intervention to achieve the desired effect in the intended recipient |
Secondary recipients | Secondary recipients are individuals who may benefit from intervention ‘spill over’ effects, e.g. other members of a household who are affected by food purchasing decisions |