Public health is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. Health is defined and promoted differently by many organizations. The World Health Organization, the United Nations body that sets standards and provides global surveillance of disease, defines health as: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

The population in question can be as big as a handful of people or, in the case of a pandemic, whole continents. Public health has many sub-fields, but is typically divided into the categories of epidemiology, biostatistics and health services. Environmental, social and behavioral health, and occupational Health, are also important fields in public health.

Objectives

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The focus of a public health intervention is to prevent rather than treat a disease through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors. In addition to these activities, in many cases treating a disease can be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak of an infectious disease. Vaccination programs and distribution of condoms are examples of public health measures.

More on [ Public health ]

Health Education Research - current issue

Do we believe the tobacco industry lied to us? Association with smoking behavior in a military population
Klesges, R. C., Sherrill-Mittleman, D. A., DeBon, M., Talcott, G. W., Vanecek, R. J. Despite the dangers of smoking, tobacco companies continue to impede tobacco control efforts through deceptive marketing practices. Media campaigns that expose these practices have been effective in advancing anti-industry attitudes and reducing smoking initiation among young people, yet the association between knowledge of industry practices and smoking cessation and relapse has not been studied. In a large military sample entering Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT), where tobacco use is prohibited, we investigated (i) the prevalence of agreement with a statement that tobacco companies have misled the public about the health consequences of smoking and (ii) the association of this acknowledgement with smoking status upon entry into BMT (N = 36 013). At baseline, 56.6% agreed that tobacco companies have been deceptive, and agreement was a strong predictor of smoking status [smokers less likely to agree, odds ratio (OR) = 0.39, P < 0.01]. At 12-month follow-up, we examined the association between industry perception at baseline and current smoking status (N = 20 672). Recruits who had been smoking upon entry into BMT and who had acknowledged industry deception were less likely to report current smoking (OR = 0.84, P = 0.01). These findings suggest that anti-industry attitudes may affect smoking relapse following cessation.
A review of undergraduate university tobacco control policy process in Canada
Baillie, L., Callaghan, D., Smith, M., Bottorff, J., Bassett-Smith, J., Budgen, C., Federsen, M. The college years occur during the stage of life when many people develop permanent smoking habits, and approximately one-third go on to become addicted smokers. The 18–24 year demographic that makes up the majority of undergraduate attendees represents the earliest years that the tobacco industry now can legally attempt to lure new customers into smoking. This research investigated the ways in which university tobacco control policies are developed, introduced to students, faculty and staff and how they are implemented and enforced. Findings show that tobacco control initiatives at Canadian undergraduate universities face a wide range of challenges including a lack of dedicated and consistent tobacco control personnel, ownership issues, funding, enforcement and monitoring dilemmas. Participants also reported that the layout and geographic location of the campus can result in difficulties in implementation. Consequently, it appears that there may be a growing, although inadvertent, tolerance for smoking on Canadian campuses.
Efficacy of a single computer-tailored e-mail for smoking cessation: results after 6 months
Te Poel, F., Bolman, C., Reubsaet, A., de Vries, H. To date, few Internet-delivered smoking cessation interventions have been tested. This study tested the efficacy, understandability, credibility and personal relevance of an e-mail-delivered computer-tailored smoking cessation intervention. It included tailored action plan feedback, as recent studies have demonstrated the importance of planning in facilitating quitting smoking. Participants (Dutch adults) were randomly assigned to the intervention (computer-tailored e-mail; N = 224) or the control group (generic, non-tailored e-mail; N = 234). The results 6 months after baseline (N = 195) showed that significantly more participants in the intervention group reported not having smoked in the last 24 hours (21.5%) and 7 days (20.4%) in contrast with participants in the control group (9.8 and 7.8%, respectively). Intention-to-treat analyses revealed similar results, though overall lower quitting percentages. Furthermore, participants in the intervention group appreciated the computer-tailored e-mail significantly more in terms of understandability, credibility and personal relevance. Hence, the computer-tailored intervention is effective for the Dutch smoking population motivated to quit smoking. Further research is needed into the efficacy of the intervention for smokers who are not motivated to quit smoking and into the benefits of (multiple) e-mail-delivered tailored letters with tailored action plan feedback over and above tailoring without action plan feedback.

Public Health News From Medical News Today

New Survey Shows Americans Look To Business To Improve Country's Health
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:00 -0800
As the healthcare reform debate continues, legislators and businesspeople alike might be surprised to learn that Americans are looking not only to government but also to business to improve our nation's health, even beyond employee wellness efforts...
White House Report Says Health Reform Will Cut Cost Growth
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0800
The New York Times: The chair of the White House Council of Economics Advisers said Monday that the Senate health care reform bill would slow the grown of spending by 1 percent each year...
Top 12 Safety Tips For The Holiday Season
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:00:00 -0800
Perhaps safety is the last thing on your mind as the holiday season approaches; but spare a few moments to consider these top 12 safety tips to ensure that your festive period, family home time, journeys and activities proceed without mishap, and ensure you, your family and your guests have a merry and cheerful holiday...

Public Health News Headlines from Johns Hopkins

For Older Adults, Participating in Social Service Activities Can Improve Brain Functions
paffairs@jhsph.edu (Office of Communications) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -0500
Volunteer service, such as tutoring children, can help older adults delay or reverse declining brain function, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers found that seniors participating in a youth mentoring program made gains in key brain regions that support cognitive abilities important to planning and organizing one s daily life. The study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that valuable social service programs, such as Experience Corps--a program designed to both benefit children and older adults health--can have the added benefits of improving the cognitive abilities of older adults, enhancing their quality of life. The study is published in the December issue of the Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
WHO Report Shows 95 Percent of World s Population Not Protected from Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
paffairs@jhsph.edu (Office of Communications) Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -0500
There is no safe level for secondhand smoke exposure and we know that exposure to tobacco smoke can lead to serious health consequences, said Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. This report defines the progress that has been made globally towards limiting exposure to harmful secondhand smoke while defining where additional progress is needed.
JHSPH Establishes International Vaccine Access Center
paffairs@jhsph.edu (Office of Communications) Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:30:00 -0500
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has established the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) to increase access to lifesaving vaccines by overcoming many of the obstacles that often delay vaccine usage and distribution.

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The world now eats, lives and dies like we do in the U.S. Dr. Dean Ornish tracks the dramatic rise of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease across the globe -- as the world begins to eat, live and die like we do in the U.S. The good news: It's reversible. (Recorded February 2006 at the TED Conference, in Monterey, CA. Duration: 3:34) More TEDTalks at www.TED.com