1. What is Public Health? Allyson Hall, PhD
Department of Health Services Research, Management, and Policy
College of Public Health and Health Professions

2. WHO’s Definition of Health
HEALTH IS A STATE OF COMPLETE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE OR INFIRMITY
WHO,

3. An Ecological Model of Health
multiple determinants of health
linkages and relationships among determinants are emphasized

4. Determinants of Population Health: The Ecological Model
Psychosocial factors
Employment status and occupational factors
Socioeconomic status
Natural and built environments
Public health and health care services
Source: Institute of Medicine, 2003

5. Assumptions about Public Health
Public health problems are multi-causal
Personal, group and population ‘behaviors’ are related to public health problems
Behaviors are influenced by a wide range of factors

6. Definition
Public health is what we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy.
Public Health
September 10, 2007

7. Public Health’s Mission
Protecting health on a population level
Social justice emphasis

8. Health Promotion and Prevention
Recognized as a means to meet public health objectives and improve public health interventions
Concerned with :
Changing individuals and groups behavior
Improving their social environment

9. Health Promotion and Health Behavior Research and Practice Strives to:
Help people adopt new behaviors
Help people cease old behaviors
Reinforce healthy behavior
Ensure a supportive and healthy environment

11. The Fall in the Standardized Death Rate (per 1,000) for Nine Common Infectious Diseases in Relation to Specific Medical Measures, US
Scarlet Fever
Measles
Typhoid TB
Influenza
Pneumonia
Whooping Cough
Polio
Diphtheria
Source: McKinlay and McKinlay, 1977

12. Motor-vehicle related deaths per 100,000 population and per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MMWR, 1999

13. Ten Great Public Health Achievements – United States, 1900-1999
Control of infectious disease
Vaccination
Motor-vehicle safety
Safer workplaces
Declines in death from coronary heart disease and stroke
Safer and healthier food
Healthier mothers and babies
Family planning
Fluoridation of drinking water
Recognition of tobacco as health hazard
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR, 1999

14. The Essential Public Health Services
Monitor health status to identify community health problems.
Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
Inform, educate and empower people about health issues
Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems
Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce
Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population- based health services
Research for new insights and innovative solution to health problems
Source: Public Health Function Steering Committee

15. In a nutshell…. Public Health Science Defines the problem (the who)
Identifies risk factors for the disease (the why)
Develops and implements interventions
Measures effectiveness
Policy Development
& Program Implementation
Assessment
Assurance

16. Core Public Health Areas
Epidemiology
Biostatistics
Environmental Health
Health Services Administration/Health Policy
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Epi and bio stats – methods behind the public health discipline
SBS – understanding how health related behavior and social factors influences health

17. The Public Health System
Community
Health care
delivery system
Assuring the Conditions
for Population Health
Governmental Public
Health Infrastructure
Employers &
Business
Academics
The Media
Source: Institute of Medicine, 2002

18. The Government Public Health Infrastructure
Local Health Departments
State Health Departments
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institutes of Health
Health Resources and Services Administration
Food and Drug Administration

19. Jobs in Public Health
Health educator Epidemiologist Health policy analyst Community organizer/activist/advocate Public health department director Occupational health and safety expert Food safety expert Public health lawyer

20. In conclusion…
There is much work to be done……

21. Leading Causes of Death for Males by Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2001
All Races
White
Black
Hispanic
All Ages
Diseases of the heart
1-14
Accidents
15-19
Homicide
20-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
Cancer
65+
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health United States, 2003

22. Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000
Percent of all deaths
Source: Mokdad et al, 2004

23. Percent Adult Current Smokers
Percent Adult Current Smokers*, by selected characteristics: United States
*Smoked at least 100 cigarettes in lifetime and currently smokes
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health United States, 2003

24. Percent of Women Who Are Overweight
Percent of Women Who Are Overweight*, by Selected Characteristics: United States
*BMI greater than or equal to 25
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health United States, 2003

25. Want to work in public health?
Public Health at the University of Florida