Philosophy of population health: philosophy of a new public health era/ Sean A Valles

Includes bibliography and index

Chapter 1: Blueprint of a philosophy of—and for—population health: a brief overview -- Part 1 What should health mean in population health science? -- Chapter 2. A brief history of the social concept of health and its role in population health science -- Chapter 3 Health as a life course trajectory of complete well-being in social context -- Part 2 Which causes and effects matter most in population health? -- Chapter 4 Expanding the boundaries of population health -- Chapter 5 Prioritizing the right population health causes and effects -- Part 3 How can population health science better promote health equity? -- Chapter 6 Managing the inevitable trade-offs in population health science practice -- Chapter 7 Ethics and Evidence in the Population Health Equity Debates -- Chapter 8 Humility as the way forward for population health science, and philosophy thereof

Population health has recently grown from a series of loosely connected critiques of twentieth-century public health and medicine into a theoretical framework with a corresponding field of research―population health science. Its approach is to promote the public’s health through improving everyday human life: afford-able nutritious food, clean air, safe places where children can play, living wages, etc. It recognizes that addressing contemporary health challenges such as the prevalence of type 2 diabetes will take much more than good hospitals and public health departments.

Blending philosophy of science/medicine, public health ethics and history, this book offers a framework that explains, analyses and largely endorses the features that define this relatively new field. Presenting a philosophical perspective, Valles helps to clarify what these features are and why they matter, including: searching for health’s "upstream" causes in social life, embracing a professional commitment to studying and ameliorating the staggering health inequities in and between populations; and reforming scientific practices to foster humility and respect among the many scientists and non- scientists who must work collaboratively to promote health.

Featuring illustrative case studies from around the globe at the end of all main chapters, this radical monograph is written to be accessible to all scholars and advanced students who have an interest in health―from public health students to professional philosophers.