Community networks can reinforce positive choices

Communities are made of connected groups of people, and often these share a physical space like a neighbourhood or a marae.

There are also communities focussed around faith, sport, or ethnicity, and these social networks have their own effect on health, through the food and drink they serve, the physical activity they encourage and their cultural norms.

The health of community members also reflects the local landscape of parks, streets, food outlets and public places as these have a strong impact on people’s day to day lives, including whether they are physically active or eat well.