Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the determinants of health of a population and the threats it faces is the basis for public health. The ''public'' can be as small as a handful of people or as large as a village or an entire city; in the case of a pandemic it may encompass several continents. The concept of ''health'' takes into account physical, psychological, and social well-being, among other factors.
Public health is an interdisciplinary field. For example, epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences and management of health services are all relevant. Other important sub-fields include environmental health, community health, behavioral health, health economics, public policy, mental health, health education, health politics, occupational safety, disability, oral health, gender issues in health, and sexual and reproductive health. Public health, together with primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care, is part of a country's overall healthcare system. Public health is implemented through the surveillance of cases and health indicators, and through the promotion of healthy behaviors. Common public health initiatives include promotion of hand-washing and breastfeeding, delivery of vaccinations, promoting ventilation and improved air quality both indoors and outdoors, suicide prevention, smoking cessation, obesity education, increasing healthcare accessibility and distribution of condoms to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
There is a significant disparity in access to health care and public health initiatives between developed countries and developing countries, as well as within developing countries. In developing countries, public health infrastructures are still forming. There may not be enough trained healthcare workers, monetary resources, or, in some cases, sufficient knowledge to provide even a basic level of medical care and disease prevention. A major public health concern in developing countries is poor maternal and child health, exacerbated by malnutrition and poverty coupled with governments' reluctance in implementing public health policies. Developed nations are at greater risk of certain public health crises, including childhood obesity, although overweight populations in low- and middle-income countries are catching up.
From the beginnings of human civilization, communities promoted health and fought disease at the population level. In complex, pre-industrialized societies, interventions designed to reduce health risks could be the initiative of different stakeholders, such as army generals, the clergy or rulers. Great Britain became a leader in the development of public health initiatives, beginning in the 19th century, due to the fact that it was the first modern urban nation worldwide. The public health initiatives that began to emerge initially focused on sanitation (for example, the Liverpool and London sewerage systems), control of infectious diseases (including vaccination and quarantine) and an evolving infrastructure of various sciences, e.g. statistics, microbiology, epidemiology, sciences of engineering.
Provided by Wikipedia
-
1
-
2Contributors: “...Department of Community Medicine Faculty of Health Science UiT The Arctic University of Norway...”
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
3Published 1974Contributors: “...Memorial University of Newfoundland. Division of Community Medicine...”
Get access
Book -
4Contributors: “...Arctic Health Research Group, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT...”
Get access
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
5by Desai, Trishna, Clarke, Robert, Ross, Stephanie, Grimsgaard, Sameline, Njølstad, Inger, Lewington, SarahContributors: “...Arctic University of Norway, the Department of Community Medicine, the Norwegian Institute...”
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Public Health (2023)
Get access
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
6by Drachev, Sergei N., Brenn, Tormod, Trovik, Tordis A.Contributors: “...ARKTROPP, Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway...”
Published in International Journal of Circumpolar Health (2018)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
7Contributors: “...School of Social and Community Medicine Bristol...”
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
8by Wikberg, Carl, Augustsson, Pia, Sveinsdottir, Gudny, Craighead, W Edward, Arnarson, Erikur Örn, Marteinsdottir, Ina, Lilja, Josefine LContributors: “...1Primary Health Care, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg...”
Published in BMJ Open (2021)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
9by Petrenya, Natalia, Skeie, Guri, Melhus, Marita, Brustad, MagrittContributors: “...Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway...”
Published in Nutrition Research (2019)
Get access
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
10by Aro, Pertti, Ronkainen, Jukka, Storskrubb, Tom, Vieth, Michael, Engstrand, Lars, Johansson, Sven-Erik, Bolling-Sternevald, Elisabeth, Bolinder, Gunilla, Alving, Kjell, Talley, Nicholas J., Agréus, LarsContributors: “...Center for Family and Community Medicine, DNCSS, Karolinska Institutet...”
Published in European Journal of Epidemiology (2010)
Get access
Get access
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
11by Haugstvedt, Anne, Graue, Marit, Aarflot, Morten, Heimro, Lovise S., Johansson, Hilde, Hjaltadottir, Ingibjörg, Sigurdardottir, Arun K.Contributors: “..., Bergen University College, Bergen, Norway Department of Community Medicine, The Arctic University...”
Published in International Diabetes Nursing (2016)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
12by Bergholt, Thomas, Skjeldestad, Finn E, Pyykönen, Aura, Rasmussen, Steen C, Tapper, Anna-Maija, Bjarnadóttir, Ragnheiður I, Smárason, Alexander, Másdóttir, Birna B, Klungsøyr, Kari, Albrechtsen, Susanne, Källén, Karin, Gissler, Mika, Løkkegaard, Ellen C LContributors: “..., University of Copenhagen, Hillerød, Denmark. 2 Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences...”
Published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (2019)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
13by Värendh, Maria, Janson, Christer, Bengtsson, Caroline, Hellgren, Johan, Holm, Mathias, Schlünssen, Vivi, Johannessen, Ane, Franklin, Karl, Storaas, Torgeir, Jõgi, Rain, Gislason, Thorarinn, Lindberg, EvaContributors: “... of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University...”
Published in Sleep and Breathing (2021)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
14by Carlsen, Hanne Krage, Ilyinskaya, Evgenia, Baxter, Peter J, Schmidt, Anja, Thorsteinsson, Throstur, Pfeffer, Melissa Anne, Barsotti, Sara, Dominici, Francesca, Finnbjornsdottir, Ragnhildur Gudrun, Jóhannsson, Thorsteinn, Aspelund, Thor, Gislason, Thorarinn, Valdimarsdóttir, Unnur, Briem, Haraldur, Gudnason, ThorolfurContributors: “...@amm.gu.se. 2Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Community...”
Published in Nature Communications (2021)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
15by Carlsen, Hanne Krage, Valdimarsdóttir, Unnur, Briem, Haraldur, Dominici, Francesca, Finnbjornsdottir, Ragnhildur Gudrun, Jóhannsson, Thorsteinn, Aspelund, Thor, Gislason, Thorarinn, Gudnason, ThorolfurContributors: “... of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 16...”
Published in Environmental Health (2021)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
16by Steinvik, Tine, Raatiniemi, Lasse, Mogensen, Brynjólfur, Steingrímsdóttir, Guðrún B, Beer, Torfinn, Eriksson, Anders, Dehli, Trond, Wisborg, Torben, Bakke, Håkon KvåleContributors: “... of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 8The National Board of Forensic...”
Published in BMC Emergency Medicine (2022)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
17by Thorolfsdottir, Rosa B, Sveinbjornsson, Gardar, Sulem, Patrick, Nielsen, Jonas B, Jonsson, Stefan, Halldorsson, Gisli H, Melsted, Pall, Ivarsdottir, Erna V, Davidsson, Olafur B, Kristjansson, Ragnar P, Thorleifsson, Gudmar, Helgadottir, Anna, Gretarsdottir, Solveig, Norddahl, Gudmundur, Rajamani, Sridharan, Torfason, Bjarni, Valgardsson, Atli S, Sverrisson, Jon T, Tragante, Vinicius, Holmen, Oddgeir L, Asselbergs, Folkert W, Roden, Dan M, Darbar, Dawood, Pedersen, Terje R, Sabatine, Marc S, Willer, Cristen J, Løchen, Maja-Lisa, Halldorsson, Bjarni V, Jonsdottir, Ingileif, Hveem, Kristian, Arnar, David O, Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur, Gudbjartsson, Daniel F, Holm, Hilma, Stefansson, KariContributors: “... Arbor, MI USA. 20 20Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø...”
Published in Communications Biology (2019)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
18by Pagani, Luca, Lawson, Daniel John, Jagoda, Evelyn, Mörseburg, Alexander, Eriksson, Anders, Mitt, Mario, Clemente, Florian, Hudjashov, Georgi, DeGiorgio, Michael, Saag, Lauri, Wall, Jeffrey D., Cardona, Alexia, Mägi, Reedik, Sayres, Melissa A. Wilson, Kaewert, Sarah, Inchley, Charlotte, Scheib, Christiana L., Järve, Mari, Karmin, Monika, Jacobs, Guy S., Antao, Tiago, Iliescu, Florin Mircea, Kushniarevich, Alena, Ayub, Qasim, Tyler-Smith, Chris, Xue, Yali, Yunusbayev, Bayazit, Tambets, Kristiina, Mallick, Chandana Basu, Saag, Lehti, Pocheshkhova, Elvira, Andriadze, George, Muller, Craig, Westaway, Michael C., Lambert, David M., Zoraqi, Grigor, Turdikulova, Shahlo, Dalimova, Dilbar, Sabitov, Zhaxylyk, Sultana, Gazi Nurun Nahar, Lachance, Joseph, Tishkoff, Sarah, Momynaliev, Kuvat, Isakova, Jainagul, Damba, Larisa D., Gubina, Marina, Nymadawa, Pagbajabyn, Evseeva, Irina, Atramentova, Lubov, Utevska, Olga, Ricaut, François-Xavier, Brucato, Nicolas, Sudoyo, Herawati, Letellier, Thierry, Cox, Murray P., Barashkov, Nikolay A., Škaro, Vedrana, Mulahasanovic´, Lejla, Primorac, Dragan, Sahakyan, Hovhannes, Mormina, Maru, Eichstaedt, Christina A., Lichman, Daria V., Abdullah, Syafiq, Chaubey, Gyaneshwer, Wee, Joseph T. S., Mihailov, Evelin, Karunas, Alexandra, Litvinov, Sergei, Khusainova, Rita, Ekomasova, Natalya, Akhmetova, Vita, Khidiyatova, Irina, Marjanović, Damir, Yepiskoposyan, Levon, Behar, Doron M., Balanovska, Elena, Metspalu, Andres, Derenko, Miroslava, Malyarchuk, Boris, Voevoda, Mikhail, Fedorova, Sardana A., Osipova, Ludmila P., Lahr, Marta Mirazón, Gerbault, Pascale, Leavesley, Matthew, Migliano, Andrea Bamberg, Petraglia, Michael, Balanovsky, Oleg, Khusnutdinova, Elza K., Metspalu, Ene, Thomas, Mark G., Manica, Andrea, Nielsen, Rasmus, Villems, Richard, Willerslev, Eske, Kivisild, Toomas, Metspalu, MaitContributors: “...Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol...”
Published in Nature (2016)
Get access
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper -
19by Jenab, Mazda, Sabaté, Jenab, Slimani, Nadia, Ferrari, Pietro, Mazuir, Mathieu, Casagrande, Corinne, Deharveng, Genevieve, Tjønneland, Anne, Olsen, Anja, Overvad, Kim, Boutron-Ruault, Marie C, Clavel-Chapelon, François, Boeing, Heiner, Weikert, Cornelia, Linseisen, Jakob, Rohrmann, Sabine, Trichopoulou, Antonia, Naska, Androniki, Palli, Domenico, Sacerdote, Carlotta, Tumino, Rosario, Mattiello, Amalia, Pala, Valeria, Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas, Ocké, Marga C, Peeters, Petra H, Engeset, Dragun, Skeie, Gurie, Jakszyn, Paula, Ardanaz, Eva, Quirós, Jose R, Chirlaque, María D, Martinez, Carmen, Amiano, Pilar, Berglund, Goran, Palmqvist, Richard, van Guelpen, Bethany, Bingham, Sheila, Key, Timothy, Riboli, ElioContributors: “... Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromso, Norway. Jakszyn,P Unit of Nutrition, Environment...”
Published 2006
Get access
Article in Journal/Newspaper