Keywords
Higher education policy
Universities
Professional training
Health policy
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: To analyze the letters, declarations, and structuring documents produced within the scope of the Ibero-American Network of Health-Promoting Universities and, based on this analysis, construct a conceptual framework for the Health-Promoting University. Method: A qualitative, documentary, and theoretical-analytical study guided by reflexive thematic analysis. The corpus comprised 12 documents produced between 2003 and 2025, selected for their centrality in the consolidation of the movement and their role in defining institutional guidelines. Results: The documents showed that the field of Health-Promoting Universities constitutes a historical and progressive construction, marked by the transition from institutional legitimization initiatives to an integrated model. The analysis identified five structuring and interrelated dimensions: institutional, political, pedagogical, socio-community, and transversal-systemic. The articulation among these dimensions underpinned the proposed conceptual framework. An asymmetry in the development of the field was observed, with greater consolidation of the institutional and political dimensions and less detail in the pedagogical dimension. Conclusion: The study theoretically systematizes the field of Health-Promoting Universities, proposes a conceptual framework, and highlights the centrality of strengthening the pedagogical dimension for the consolidation of the model in higher education.
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