Social Science and Public Health

1
Social Science and Public Health

• Jeannine Coreil, PhD
• College of Public Health
• University of South Florida

2
Key Points

• Deep roots in public health
• Growing relevance and contributions
• Theory and methods development
• Anthropological perspectives
• Critical lens needed
• Positivism, riskfactorology
• Shift focus to social structure and
  organizational culture

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Important Milestones

• Mid-19th centuryPublic health defined as social
  science
• Late-19th century Sanitary Movement
• 1948 WHO defines health to include mental and
  social well-being
• 1950s Anthropology applied to medical
  modernization

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Important Milestones II

• 1958 Publication of the Health Belief Model
• 1962 U.S. Surgeon Generals Report on smoking
  and health
• 1978 Alma Ata Conference on Primary Health Care
• 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

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Important Milestones III

• 1980s Child Survival Initiative
• 1980s HIV/AIDS pandemic
• 1980s Public health training incorporates social
  science
• 1990s Structural readjustment
• 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion
• Ongoing Paradigm shifts

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Seminal Developments

• Epidemiologic transitions
• Maturation of field
• Social Science Medicine, 1966
• TDR, 1975
• Development agencies
• New paradigm multilevel framework

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Theoretical Perspectives

• Social Ecology
• Health Promotion
• Interpretive Studies
• Critical Perspectives

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Key Concepts

• Knowledge and attitudes
• Health behaviour
• Culture
• Social environment

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Methodologic Development

• Survey methods
• Epidemiologic techniques
• Statistical tools
• Qualitative research
• Participatory methods
• Narrative studies
• Mixed methods

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Intervention Strategies

• Community-based approaches
• Policy and advocacy
• Social marketing
• Planning models
• Primary, secondary tertiary prevention

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Future Directions

• Social science of public health
• Critical perspectives
• Policy and advocacy
• Organizational culture
• Social structure
• Social justice, health disparities
• Insider and outsider perspectives

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For chapter reprint

• Email Jeannine Coreil at
• jcoreil_at_health.usf.edu