Introduction to Public Health

Introduction to Public Health

• Population health definition and history related to health promotion.
• Concepts of health, disease, disability, and health inequality/inequity are covered.
• Three views of health are named and described.
• Factors determining a population's health are described.
• Public health core competencies are covered.

Key Terms

• Population Health: An approach to improve the health of the entire population and reduce health inequities among population groups (PHAC, 2012).
• Health: A complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of illness (WHO, 1946).
• Disease: Abnormal, medically defined changes in the structure or functioning of the human body.
• Disability: Results from the interaction between people with a certain health condition, personal, and environmental factors.
• Inequalities/inequities: Differences in health status among population groups.

Public Health - Historical Milestones in Canada

• 1974: Lalonde Report - A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians. It covered human biology, environment, lifestyle, and health organization, leading to primary health care.
• 1986: First International Conference on Health Promotion in Ottawa, resulting in Framework: Achieving Health For All.
• 1995: The Health Promotion Directorate was replaced by the Population Health Directorate.
• 2004: The Center for Health Promotion was created within the Public Health Agency of Canada.
• 2007: Senate Subcommittee on Population Health was established, focusing on social determinants of health.
• 2009: A Healthy, Productive Canada was submitted to the Senate, emphasizing health as a basic human right and societal responsibility.

Public Health Agency of Canada's Role

• Mission: promote and protect the health of Canadians.
• Promote health.
• Prevent and control chronic diseases and injuries.
• Prevent and control infectious diseases.
• Prepare for & respond to public health emergencies.
• Serve as a central point for sharing Canada's expertise.
• Apply international research and development to public health programs.
• Strengthen intergovernmental collaboration for public health policy and planning.

Three Views of Health

• Biomedical: Focuses on the causes and treatment of ill health and disease in terms of biological cause and effect.
• Behavioral/Lifestyle: Posits that people's behaviors are primarily what cause disease.
• Socio-ecological: Views health more holistically as the product of political, economic, and psychosocial factors.

Epidemiological Triangle

• Agent: The actual cause of disease (virus, bacteria, fungus, etc.)
• Host: An organism that carries a disease (infected by an agent). Hosts may or may not present as ill.
• Environment: Any outside factors (sanitation, temperature) that affect the spread of disease.

Examples related to COVID-19:

• Agent: SARS-CoV-2.
• Host: You.
• Environment: A focus on avoiding crowded places, maintaining safe distances, and self-isolating.

Conceptualizations of the Social Determinants of Health

• Social
• Economics
• Environment
• Education
• Health Care
• Food
• Built Environment
• Social Support/Network
• Positive Choices (reducing barriers to access care).

Primary Health Care - 5 Principles

• Accessibility
• Intersectoral Collaboration
• Public Participation
• Appropriate Technology
• Health Promotion

Key Public Health Achievements (CPHA)

• Tobacco Use: In the 1950s, over half of adults smoked; now, it's less than 1 in 5.
• Vaccination: Once-common childhood killers like polio, smallpox, and measles have virtually disappeared.
• Motor Vehicles: Road death rates have fallen by more than half since the 1970s due to initiatives like seatbelt laws.
• Family Planning: Legalization of birth control and decriminalization of abortion has given women reproductive rights.

Public Health Challenges for the 21st Century

• Youth Substance Abuse
• Physical Inactivity
• Childhood Obesity
• The Opioid Crisis
• Vaping
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes
• Injuries
• Mood Disorders