Public Health

Definition

Public health is the science and clinical practice of population and community-based efforts to prevent disease and disability, and promote physical and mental health. It considers the health of groups, communities, or populations as opposed to the health of individuals. Public health addresses a variety of medical and social issues including:

Description

The science of public health is called epidemiology. It is the study of the occurrence of disease in such naturally existing populations as nations, cities, or communities. The term "epidemiology" comes from the Greek word epidemic, which means "upon the people." The earliest epidemiologists (public health scientists) worked to prevent the spread of epidemics.

Today, epidemiologists gather and analyze information about populations to manage and prevent disease. Epidemiologists are trained in highly specialized research methods: surveillance, investigation, analysis, and evaluation. Surveillance refers to systematic data collection and analysis; it enables the epidemiologists to detect changes that may require investigation. Epidemiological investigation involves observation, detailed descriptions of the problem, documentation of data, and analysis. Evaluation is the process that helps to answer such a question as "How often should men between the ages of 40 and 60 be screened for hypertension (high blood pressure)?"

By analyzing population data, epidemiologists also are able to describe diseases and determine the factors that cause them. Epidemiology is a quantitative science; it measures rates and proportions. Two commonly used rates are prevalence and incidence rates. Prevalence describes the characteristics of a given population at a specific moment in time; it is like a snapshot.

Incidence describes the rate of development of a disease in a given population over a specified time interval. Incidence offers a longer view of population dynamics, like a video, as opposed to the snapshot offered by the prevalence rate. Epidemiologists also analyze such other rates as morbidity (disease-related illness) and mortality (death).

Public health practitioners rely on the findings of epidemiologists to develop health services, allocate resources, and determine standards of care. The results of epidemiological studies also influence health policy. For example, epidemiological research helps to determine how many health care professionals are needed based on population; the effectiveness of various treatments; and schedules for immunization or screening.


Advertisement
Advertisement