Planning for Health Equity: How Municipal Strategic Documents and Project Plans Reflect Intentions Instructed by the Norwegian Public Health Act

The Norwegian Public Health Act (PHA) mandates municipalities to integrate a systematic, knowledge-based, cross-sectoral approach aimed at levelling the social gradient in health. This study describe and analyse how intentions of PHA are addressed municipal plans project-planning documents. A document analysis project documents extracted from four Central Norway was employed complemented with deductive, qualitative content analysis. Findings indicate awareness public health work as whole-of-municipality responsibility. Systematic knowledge-based processes that make use relevant data planning decision-making described across municipality projects plans. Multisectoral working groups set up level; however, opportunities for further improvements arise respect anchor these structures systematic procedures wider context. process aims (systematic approach, governance) receive more attention than outcome (health equity) both program Only very rarely does hold operationalizations achieve equity. As such, effort placed on cross-administrative levels sectors promote equity is still needed.