Public Health 101

I have been employed in the field of public health in one way or another for more than 30 years. So I take the term for granted, along with the concepts it embodies and the nature of the work that is done by public health researchers and practitioners. So I continually have to remind myself that many, if not most people, don ' t know what " public health " means. Often, people seem to think that it means providing medical services to poor people. Some people think it just means infectious disease control. I work at a school of public health and I do public health research and I teach public health. So here are three definitions I offer to my students in an introductory lecture to my introductory course in public health. So I really do know what it means.Definition 1 is from the Institute of Medicine, in 1988:‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health … through organized community effort’That ' s succinct. As you can readily see, it would include such activities as reducing the rate at which people are shot. Why is the Institute of Medicine defining public health? Good question! Medicine does focus on the individual, while public health addresses the population level. But physicians have come to care more about public health than they did in the past because they know that medical intervention accounts for less than half of health and longevity.Definition 2 is from Harvard professor C.E. Winslow, in 1932. He was a founder of the fie...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs