News tagged with public health
New book examines impact of US tobacco industry
Most research that focuses on tobacco examines health risks associated with smoking, says Peter Benson, PhD, a sociocultural anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis.
4 hours ago |
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Medical center-based farmers markets improve health
Farmers markets at medical centers may contribute to greater wellness in surrounding communities while adding public health value to a market's mission, say Penn State College of Medicine researchers who have developed and ...
Feb 09, 2012 |
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Diagnosing developmental coordination disorder
Children showing difficulty carrying out routine actions, such as getting dressed, playing with particular types of games, drawing, copying from the board in school and even typing at the computer, could be suffering from ...
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Feb 09, 2012 |
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Financial burden of prescription drugs is dropping: Costs remain a challenge for many
The financial burden Americans face paying out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs has declined, although prescription costs remain a significant challenge for people with lower incomes and those with public insurance, ...
Feb 08, 2012 |
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New community health approach aims to combats chronic disease, empower patients, reduces costs
A new community-wide collaboration to reduce the impact of chronic disease and empower patients is generating impressive early results, leaders of the Accountable Care Community (ACC) initiative said today. The Akron-based ...
Feb 08, 2012 |
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Breastfeeding can reduce risk of childhood obesity
Children of diabetic pregnancies have a greater risk of childhood obesity, but new research from the Colorado School of Public Health shows breastfeeding can reduce this threat.
Feb 08, 2012 |
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GLBT adults twice as likely to smoke, half as likely to have plans to quit
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered adults who smoke are not thinking about quitting or getting ready to quit, and a quarter are uncomfortable approaching their doctors for help, report University of Colorado Cancer ...
Feb 08, 2012 |
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The butterfly effect in nanotech medical diagnostics
Tiny metallic nanoparticles that shimmer in the light like the scales on a butterfly's wing are set to become the color-change components of a revolutionary new approach to point-of-care medical diagnostics, according to ...
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 06, 2012 |
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Combined approach to global health can save lives at lower cost
(Medical Xpress) -- The great paradox of global health efforts is that regions of the world most plagued by poverty, poor infrastructure and rampant disease are often the most difficult to support. Now, scientists ...
Feb 06, 2012 |
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Latest illnesses point to raw milk's popularity
(AP) -- An outbreak of bacterial infections on the East Coast illustrates the popularity of raw, unpasteurized milk despite strong warnings from public health officials about the potential danger.
Feb 03, 2012 |
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24,000 ducks destroyed in Australia after bird flu
Some 24,000 Australian ducks were being destroyed Wednesday after testing positive for a low pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus, an outbreak which has prompted poultry export bans in parts of Asia.
Feb 01, 2012 |
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Accidents don't just happen: New Book on trends and takeaways in injury research
Two esteemed researchers in the field of injury research have published the most comprehensive reference book to date on the methods and approaches underpinning the scientific discipline of injury control and prevention.
Jan 31, 2012 |
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NSABB and H5N1 redactions: Biosecurity runs up against scientific endeavor
In response to recent actions of the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), which recommended that two scientific journals withhold crucial details in upcoming reports about experiments with a novel ...
Jan 31, 2012 |
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Inquests more likely for younger people and deaths from medical care complications
Coroners are more likely to hold inquests for deaths involving younger people or people who died of fatal complications from medical care, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Jan 30, 2012 |
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Zimbabwe doctors report 800 typhoid cases
(AP) -- An independent doctors' group in Zimbabwe is reporting 800 cases of the bacterial disease typhoid in a recent outbreak.
Jan 29, 2012 |
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Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." (1920, C.E.A. Winslow)[citation needed] It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. The population in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the inhabitants of several continents (for instance, in the case of a pandemic). Public health is typically divided into epidemiology, biostatistics and health services. Environmental, social, behavioral, and occupational health are also important subfields.
There are 2 distinct characteristics of public health:
1. It deals with preventive rather than curative aspects of health 2. It deals with population-level, rather than individual-level health issues
The focus of 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 may be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak of an infectious disease. Hand washing, vaccination programs and distribution of condoms are examples of public health measures.
The goal of public health is to improve lives through the prevention and treatment of disease. The United Nations' World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
For more information about Public health, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
