1: Core Concepts and History of Public Health
- Page ID
- 116065
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Public health works to create positive conditions for health for everybody. When public health is effective, it's often invisible -- we notice illness, but seldom notice when people are NOT getting sick from a hazard that was prevented or mitigated by public health. Clean water? Food that's safe to eat? Vaccines? Safe working conditions? Public health plays a role in all of that!
This chapter introduces some core concepts and tools that public health uses to protect people's health. It illustrates how public health thinks about prevention and uses data to solve problems. It also provides some history of the field of public health, to give you an idea of how these public health approaches arose. The chapter also points out some commonalities and differences among public health, clinical medicine, and personal health activities.
- 1.1: Student learning outcomes (goals) for this week
- This page outlines the learning outcomes for a public health module, covering course expectations, key definitions, and the evolution of public health. Participants will distinguish between public health and medicine, explore historical phases, and understand the roles of governmental and non-governmental organizations. Key topics also include core public health functions, essential services, and the impact of politics on public health agencies.
- 1.2: What Is Public Health?
- This page discusses public health, which aims to improve community health through scientific disciplines and collective efforts to prevent disease and injury. It highlights the importance of understanding health impacts on populations and promoting overall well-being.
- 1.3: Focus on Prevention
- This page emphasizes the "upstream" approach in public health, advocating for addressing root causes of health issues instead of merely managing their effects. It uses a metaphor of rescuing babies from a river, illustrating the need for prevention strategies, like banning transfats and promoting physical activity in schools. The text encourages focusing on primary prevention to enhance community health, positioning "upstream" actions as essential to effectively improving public health outcomes.
- 1.4: Public Health and Medicine
- This page highlights the distinction between public health, which focuses on prevention and population health, and medicine, which emphasizes treatment and individual care. It notes their interconnection, particularly in preventative initiatives like vaccine distribution.
- 1.5: Public Health and Personal Health
- This page distinguishes between public health and personal health, noting the influence of genetics on individual health versus community behaviors affecting population health. It explains that personal health focuses on lifestyle choices, while public health involves policies and programs. Small population-level changes can yield substantial health benefits, similar to climate impacts. Additionally, health education at CCSF integrates both personal and public health training.
- 1.9: Public Health Early History
- This page covers two distinct topics: the evolution of public health in Chapter One, detailing historical practices, key figures, and the shift from miasma to germ theory, while emphasizing the influence of urbanization and social movements; and a technical guide for a JavaScript quiz application that explains form submission, answer verification, scoring, and styling through CSS.
- 1.10: Twentieth Century Public Health
- This page outlines the evolution of public health in the 20th century, highlighting three key periods: the Health Resources Development Period (1900-1960) which emphasized infrastructure and training; the Social Engineering Period (1960-1973) focusing on government programs for healthcare access; and the Health Promotion Period (since 1974) aimed at behavior change. While life expectancy rose, recent declines are linked to drug overdoses, chronic diseases, inequality, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 1.12: Twenty-First Century Public Health
- This page discusses the multifaceted causes of population health issues in the 21st century, such as healthcare access, lifestyle choices, and environmental factors. It highlights challenges posed by emerging diseases and behavioral health problems, emphasizing health disparities and the urgency for progress in achieving health equity per WHO standards. The Healthy People 2030 initiative is presented as a framework for improving health outcomes through collaboration across various sectors.
- 1.13: World Health
- This page emphasizes the links between U.S. health and global public health issues such as communicable diseases, sanitation, hunger, and migration. It notes both ongoing challenges and positive trends, like increased life expectancy post-mid-20th century independence movements. Additionally, it highlights successful Covid-19 responses from nations like South Korea and Taiwan, indicating that public health excellence can be found beyond developed countries.
- 1.16: Summary
- This page discusses the WHO's definition of health and the importance of public health, focusing on preventive measures for populations. It reviews historical public health milestones, future goals such as Healthy People 2020, and factors affecting community health through the Ecological Model.