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Introduction to Public Health: Understanding Health Inequalities and Promoting Social Justice

This chapter provides an introduction to the field of public health, its definition, and how it differs from medicine. It explores the causes of illness and analyzes social determinants of health. The chapter also discusses the importance of health inequalities, the relationship between social justice and public health, and the spectrum of prevention.

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Introduction to Public Health: Understanding Health Inequalities and Promoting Social Justice

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  1. Foundations For Community Health Workers • (2009) • Editors: Berthold, T., Miller, J., and • Avila-Esparza, A. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Chapter Three An Introduction to Public Health

  2. What you will learn • Definition of health • Definition of public health • How the field of public health is different from the field of medicine • How the field of public health analyzes the causes of illness and health of populations and social determinants of health • Ecological model of public health

  3. What you will learn • Why public health is concerned with health inequalities • Relationship between promoting social justice and promoting public health • Public health’s emphasis on prevention • The spectrum of prevention

  4. Definition of health There are many definitions of health. The most widely used definition is the one from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO defines Health as “ the complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.”

  5. Definition of public health There are several key concepts to the definition of public health. Public health is: • Population based – concern with large groups of people or populations • An interdisciplinary field – builds on and applies a range of sciences such as biology anatomy, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. • Uses the science of epidemiology – the study of the health and illness of populations.

  6. Definition of public health There are several key concepts to the definition of public health. Public health is: • Concerned with health inequalities or disparities – when one group of peoples experience significantly higher rates of illness and death than others • Emphasizes the social determinants of health – economic, social, and political policies and dynamics that influence whether or not people have access to resources and opportunities essential to good health.

  7. Ecological Model of Health Definition of public health • Nation & Society Public health uses: The Ecological Model of Health to understand and promote health. • Neighbor- • hoods & Community • Friends & Family • individual

  8. Public health information and analysis • Existing government data • Analysis of death rates or mortality rates • Infant mortality rates – the number of children born alive who die before the age of one • Life expectancy rates – estimated number of years that people will live. • Statistical research methods to gather health information from a sample (a smaller but representative number) of the population.

  9. Public health and health inequalities Health inequalities are not due to genetics or other biological differences between populations. They are the consequences of the way that society is organized around access to basic resources, rights and opportunities that all people require to live long healthy lives. To change health inequalities means changing policies that effect people’s access to basic resources such as housing, food, education, employment, health care, safety, and human rights.

  10. Social justice and public health The most powerful strategy for promoting public health is to advocate for changes in public policies that will provide equal access to resources, rights and opportunities that are basic for health (education, housing, nutrition, safety, civil rights, quality health care, employment). Social justice is the equal access to these basic human resources, rights and opportunities.

  11. Public health and prevention Primary prevention – preventing the development of a disease or condition from occurring. Secondary prevention – early diagnosis and treatment of a disease or condition before they become symptomatic (show signs). Tertiary prevention – provide services that aid in delaying further progress, alleviate symptoms, prevent complications, and delay death to those already living with a symptomatic disease or condition.

  12. The spectrum of prevention Strengthen individual knowledge and skills Promoting community education Educating providers Fostering coalitions and networks Changing organizational practices Influencing policy and legislation

  13. Words to know • Population • Epidemiology • Life expectancy • At-risk • Prevalence • Chronic disease • Infectious disease • Social determinants of health • Interdisciplinary • Infant mortality rates • Ecological model of health • Health disparities • Mortality rates • Infant mortality rates • Social justice

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