Health in Society
Lecture 1: Introduction to new public health
Course learning objectives
- Understanding social factors in health
- Knowledge of theories/research
- Understanding of sources of inequity
- Familiarity with policy/interventions
- Ability to critically analyze/discuss
- Ability to apply theory to research/practice
Health is a sociale issue
“A toxic combination of bad policies, economics and politics is, in large measure, responsible
for the fact that a majority of people in the world do not enjoy the good health that is
biologically possible.”
Social determinants of health = Condition in which people are born, grow, live, work and
age.
Introduction to (new) (public) health
What is health?
Clockwork model in medicine: we denken over het lichaam als een machine en als alle
onderdelen van de machine goed werken, dan werkt de machine goed (is het lichaam dus
gezond). Health is when the body operates efficiently, like a machine. -> old classic way of
thinking
Kritiek op het ‘Clockwork model’: health is more than absence of illness. Bijvoorbeeld
mentale gezondheid wordt niet meegenomen in dit model. Daarnaast is gezondheid en zich
gezond voelen voor iedereen anders
“Health is a state of complete, physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.”
Aspecten die belangrijk zijn als het gaat om Positive health zijn:
- Strengths that contribute to good health and protect against illness. Deze verschillen
per persoon.
- Physical, mental, spiritual aspects
- Daily functioning, social participation
- Quality of life
What is public health?
- Health of populations rather than individuals
Holistic/ecosystems understanding
- Prevention approach rather than treatment
Protecting groups of people
- Collective rather than personal interventions
Focus on places, settings, locations
,Roots of public health
- Combatting infectious diseases
- Collective health measures throughout history
McKeown’s thesis (1979) – Improved living standards more important than medical
advances
Kritiek: important role of public health movement (working condition, education etc.)
The nine domains of Gross National Happiness:
WHO Healthy Cities approach
- Focus on physical and social environments
- Creating a strong community; citizen participation
- Focus on such outcomes as number of trusting people; availability of community
spaces
Exercise 3:
In our town they are very busy with building playgrounds and renovate sport locations. At
the moment a BMX-track is being built, so they focus on the physical and social
environments.
What is new public health?
New perspective on public health
- Equity takes center stage (“health for all”)
- All-encompassing system: all sectors and all policies should play their role in
promoting health
- Importance of citizen participation and involvement
, Importans of evidence
“Often people jump to solutions without analyzing the problems to be addressed fully”.
Baum
Two main issues for research
- Causes of, and contributors to, health
Individual, social, structural factors
Biology, behaviour, support, environment, policy, economy
- Effectiveness of policies and interventions
Which approaches effectively influence underlying factors?
Individual, social, structural approaches to change
Lecture 2: Politics, inequity, and social determinants of health
Public health is a political process
Baum “Public health actions are expressions of prevailing political ideologies.”
Lecture 1: Introduction to new public health
Course learning objectives
- Understanding social factors in health
- Knowledge of theories/research
- Understanding of sources of inequity
- Familiarity with policy/interventions
- Ability to critically analyze/discuss
- Ability to apply theory to research/practice
Health is a sociale issue
“A toxic combination of bad policies, economics and politics is, in large measure, responsible
for the fact that a majority of people in the world do not enjoy the good health that is
biologically possible.”
Social determinants of health = Condition in which people are born, grow, live, work and
age.
Introduction to (new) (public) health
What is health?
Clockwork model in medicine: we denken over het lichaam als een machine en als alle
onderdelen van de machine goed werken, dan werkt de machine goed (is het lichaam dus
gezond). Health is when the body operates efficiently, like a machine. -> old classic way of
thinking
Kritiek op het ‘Clockwork model’: health is more than absence of illness. Bijvoorbeeld
mentale gezondheid wordt niet meegenomen in dit model. Daarnaast is gezondheid en zich
gezond voelen voor iedereen anders
“Health is a state of complete, physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.”
Aspecten die belangrijk zijn als het gaat om Positive health zijn:
- Strengths that contribute to good health and protect against illness. Deze verschillen
per persoon.
- Physical, mental, spiritual aspects
- Daily functioning, social participation
- Quality of life
What is public health?
- Health of populations rather than individuals
Holistic/ecosystems understanding
- Prevention approach rather than treatment
Protecting groups of people
- Collective rather than personal interventions
Focus on places, settings, locations
,Roots of public health
- Combatting infectious diseases
- Collective health measures throughout history
McKeown’s thesis (1979) – Improved living standards more important than medical
advances
Kritiek: important role of public health movement (working condition, education etc.)
The nine domains of Gross National Happiness:
WHO Healthy Cities approach
- Focus on physical and social environments
- Creating a strong community; citizen participation
- Focus on such outcomes as number of trusting people; availability of community
spaces
Exercise 3:
In our town they are very busy with building playgrounds and renovate sport locations. At
the moment a BMX-track is being built, so they focus on the physical and social
environments.
What is new public health?
New perspective on public health
- Equity takes center stage (“health for all”)
- All-encompassing system: all sectors and all policies should play their role in
promoting health
- Importance of citizen participation and involvement
, Importans of evidence
“Often people jump to solutions without analyzing the problems to be addressed fully”.
Baum
Two main issues for research
- Causes of, and contributors to, health
Individual, social, structural factors
Biology, behaviour, support, environment, policy, economy
- Effectiveness of policies and interventions
Which approaches effectively influence underlying factors?
Individual, social, structural approaches to change
Lecture 2: Politics, inequity, and social determinants of health
Public health is a political process
Baum “Public health actions are expressions of prevailing political ideologies.”
