Health promotion research: towards a new social epidemiology

ABSTRACT

Social factors affect health. Social epidemiologists have shown not only the harmful effects of stress and the helpful ones of social support but also the importance of the wider physical and social environment. This raises two questions for health promotion research. How can we better understand the social determinants of health and disease? How can healthy public policy transform present knowledge into action? This book gives some of the most recent, relevant and reliable answers to both. Twenty-one articles describe the state of the art and give examples of interventions and their results in five areas of health promotion research. The authors are experts from a number of European countries and the United States. The first part of the book focuses on healthy public policy expanding health policy from a concern solely with illness and health care to multisectoral policies to create environments that promote health. The other four parts examine important issues in health promotion social and behavioural factors, appropriate settings, special populations and community intervention. This book provides valuable reading for people working in health planning and service delivery, and for those working in health promotion or training others to do so. In helping to bridge the gap between knowledge of and action on social factors and health, this book makes an important contribution to health for all.