WARNING - ATTENDING A SPORT, RACING OR ARTS VENUE MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR HEALTH

Concerted efforts to create health-promoting sport, racing and arts ve nues have become possible since the advent of health promotion foundat ions in four of Australia's eight states and territories. Large number s of Australians attend sport, racing and arts venues in pursuit of le isure activities. There is evidence that sport and racing participants and spectators, and certain subgroups of the arts community, have adv erse risk-factor profiles that make them an ideal target for health pr omotion interventions. Through the use of sponsorship, health promotio n foundations 'purchase' health-promoting policies in sport, racing an d arts settings-policies that have the potential to become institution alised once sponsorship dollars are depleted. This paper discusses the policies 'purchased' by the foundations and outlines a comprehensive surveillance and evaluation system developed for the Western Australia n Health Promotion Foundation. The system monitors the implementation of health-promoting environments at the micro level (sponsorship proje ct); intermediate level (sponsored group); and macro level (community) . The article concludes by outlining some of the lessons learned in We stern Australia. These provide the basis for development of best pract ice in working with sport, racing and arts groups, and other sectors o utside health, to create health-promoting environments.