Synopses & Reviews
Extensive research has shown that social factors are as important as biological ones in determining health, and their impact is enormous in both adults and children. The challenge of changing public policies and programs remains.
Healthier Societies: From Analysis to Action addresses the fundamental questions which will lead the way toward countries investing seriously in improving social conditions, as a way of improving population health.
The book is divided into three parts. Section one addresses to what extent health is determined by biological factors, by social factors, and more fundamentally, by the interaction between the two. Section two examines four case studies that demonstrate the ways in which social change can dramatically affect adults' health, as well as launch children's lives onto healthy trajectories. This section analyzes the cases of nutrition, working conditions, social inequalities, and geographic disparities. The third section of the book takes a serious look at what would be involved in translating the research findings described throughout the book into action.
Review
"This book is such a valuable contribution to the field of public health because it is written in a voice that motivates, and provides a directive for action."--Doody's
Review
"This book is such a valuable contribution to the field of public health because it is written in a voice that motivates, and provides a directive for action."--Doody's
"This book captures both the evidence that social circumstances affect health and its policy implications in a tightly woven and compelling narrative that successfully unites the contributions from this interdisciplinary collection of researchers. Figures and tables contribute to the clarity of the discussions."--ScienceDirect
Table of Contents
Part I. 1. Interactive role of genes and the environment, John Frank, Geoffrey Lomax, Patricia Baird, Margaret Lock
2. Biological pathways linking the social environment, development and health, Franke Hertzman and John Frank
3. Global and local perspectives on population health, Margaret Lock, Vinh-Kim Nguyen, Christina Zarowsky
4. A life course approach to health and human development, Clyde Hertzman and Chris Power
5. Universal medical care and health inequalities: right objectives, wrong tools, Verena Menecs, Marni Browne
Part II. An in depth look at several determinants of health
6. Food, nutrition and population health: From scarcity to social inequalities, Lise Dubois
7. Work and health: New evidence and enhanced understandings, Cam Mustard, John Lavis, Aleck Ostry
8. Income inequality as a determinant of health, Nancy Ross, Michael Wolfson, George Kaplan, James Dunn, John Lynch, Claudia Sanmartin
9. Role of geography in inequalities in health and human development, James R. Dunn, Katherine L. Frohlich, Nancy Ross, Lori Curtis, and Claudia Sanmarti Nan
Part III.
10. Social welfare models, labor markets, and health outcomes, Joachim Vogel, Töres Theorell
11. What measure of economic well-being is most relevant for health?, Lars Osberg, Andrew Sharpe
12. Reallocating resource across public sectors to improve population health, Greg L. Stoddart, John D. Eyles, John N. Lavis, Paul C. Chaulk
13. Different approaches taken to child policy, A.L. Kozyrskyj, L.J. Curtis, and C. Hertzman
14. Where do we go from here? Translating research to policy, Alison Earle, S. Jody Heymann, John M. Lavis