The determinants of policy for population health

Many advocates of policy to implement the findings of research on the multiple determinants of health accord scant attention to the determinants of health policy in democratic countries. The principle determinants of the allocation of scarce resources to improving health include: the priorities of voters; the diffusion of responsibility for improving health; the absence of evidence about matters of consequence to policy makers; the arraying of some evidence in ways that frustrate policy making; resistance to addressing determinants other than clinical services and traditional public health practices among many professionals in these fields, as well as by industries that supply the health sector; and the special political influence of persons who suffer serious chronic disease and of members of their families.

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Understanding needs and barriers to using geospatial tools for public health policymaking in China

Geospatial health ◽

10.4081/gh.2018.594 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dohyeong Kim ◽

Yingyuan Zhang ◽

Chang Kil Lee

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Policy Development ◽

Policy Making ◽

Geographical Information Systems ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Adoption And Implementation ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Geospatial Tools

Despite growing popularity of using geographical information systems and geospatial tools in public health fields, these tools are only rarely implemented in health policy management in China. This study examines the barriers that could prevent policy-makers from applying such tools to actual managerial processes related to public health problems that could be assisted by such approaches, e.g. evidence-based policy-making. A questionnaire-based survey of 127 health-related experts and other stakeholders in China revealed that there is a consensus on the needs and demands for the use of geospatial tools, which shows that there is a more unified opinion on the matter than so far reported. Respondents pointed to lack of communication and collaboration among stakeholders as the most significant barrier to the implementation of geospatial tools. Comparison of survey results to those emanating from a similar study in Bangladesh revealed different priorities concerning the use of geospatial tools between the two countries. In addition, the follow-up in-depth interviews highlighted the political culture specific to China as a critical barrier to adopting new tools in policy development. Other barriers included concerns over the limited awareness of the availability of advanced geospatial tools. Taken together, these findings can facilitate a better understanding among policy-makers and practitioners of the challenges and opportunities for widespread adoption and implementation of a geospatial approach to public health policy-making in China.

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Measuring the globalization of health services: a possible index of openness of country health sectors to trade

Health Economics Policy and Law ◽

10.1017/s1744133106005019 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 323-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

RICHARD SMITH

Keyword(s):

Health Policy ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Sector ◽

Specific Aspect ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Significant Aspect ◽

National Economies ◽

The Impact

Globalization is a key challenge facing health policy-makers. A significant aspect of this is trade in health services. However, little is currently known about how trade in health services will affect the health of populations and national economies. A key determinant of the impact of trade in health services will be the general economic and trade context of the country concerned. One specific aspect of this is the ‘openness’ of a country’s health sector to trade; yet there is little, if anything, currently known about the most appropriate methods to assess openness of the health sector.

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Health inequalities: still making policy in a fog?

Health Economics Policy and Law ◽

10.1017/s1744133106004038 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 427-435 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

MARTIN POWELL

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

Health Inequalities ◽

Policy Making ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Policy Perspective ◽

What Works ◽

Health Action ◽

Policy Analysts ◽

Unrealistic Expectations

What Works in Tackling Health Inequalities? Pathways, Policies and Practice through the Lifecourse S. Asthana and J. Halliday Bristol: Policy, Press, 2006Health Action Zones: Partnerships for Health Equity M. Barnes, L. Bauld, M. Benzeval, K. Judge, M. Mackenzie, H. Sullivan Abingdon: Routledge, 2005Health Inequality: An Introduction to Theories, Concepts and Methods M. Bartley Cambridge: Polity, 2004Status Syndrome: How your Social Standing Directly Affects your Health and Life Expectancy M. Marmot London: Bloomsbury, 2004These four texts on health inequalities are all very different books written by leading commentators with different academic backgrounds. This review will concentrate on the policy perspective that may be of most interest to many readers of this journal. It is also arguably the Achilles heel of the health inequalities literature. According to policy makers, much current research on health inequalities was of little use to policy making, and public health researchers have been criticized for political naivety, for lacking understanding of how policy is made, and for having unrealistic expectations (Petticrew et al., 2004: 815–816). Similarly, Klein (2003) points to the problems of ‘making policy in a fog’. The first two texts under review focus on policy and are written by policy analysts.

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Message framing in the context of the national menu-labelling policy: a comparison of public health and private industry interests

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016003025 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 814-823 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rachel C Shelton ◽

James Colgrove ◽

Grace Lee ◽

Michelle Truong ◽

Gina M Wingood

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Policy Making ◽

Message Framing ◽

Health Sector ◽

Positive Health ◽

Private Industry ◽

Nutrition Labelling ◽

Health Related ◽

The Usa

AbstractObjectiveWe conducted a content analysis of public comments to understand the key framing approaches used by private industryv. public health sector, with the goal of informing future public health messaging, framing and advocacy in the context of policy making.DesignComments to the proposed menu-labelling policy were extracted from Regulations.gov and analysed. A framing matrix was used to organize and code key devices and themes. Documents were analysed using content analysis with Dedoose software.SettingRecent national nutrition-labelling regulations in the USA provide a timely opportunity to understand message framing in relation to obesity prevention and policy.SubjectsWe examined a total of ninety-seven documents submitted on behalf of organizations (private industry,n64; public health,n33).ResultsPublic health focused on positive health consequences of the policy, used a social justice frame and supported its arguments with academic data. Industry was more critical of the policy; it used a market justice frame that emphasized minimal regulation, depicted its members as small, family-run businesses, and illustrated points with humanizing examples.ConclusionsPublic health framing should counter and consider engaging directly with non-health-related arguments made by industry. Public health should include more powerful framing devices to convey their messages, including metaphors and humanizing examples.

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A Modelling Framework for Evidence-based Public Health Policy Making

IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics ◽

10.1109/jbhi.2022.3142503 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Marios Prasinos ◽

Ioannis Basdekis ◽

Marco Anisetti ◽

George Spanoudakis ◽

Dimitris D.G Koutsouris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Public Health Policy ◽

Policy Making ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Modelling Framework

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Social, Economic, and Political Perspectives on Public Health Policy-Making

10.4018/978-1-4666-9944-1 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Public Health Policy ◽

Policy Making ◽

Social Economic

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Dissemination of the capacity building results - tools adapted to the local context

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.496 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

K Kallel ◽

L Zakraoui ◽

Y Ben Othman ◽

M Jouini ◽

F Selaouati

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Large Scale ◽

Academic Community ◽

Local Context ◽

Success Factor ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Health Decision ◽

Social Environmental ◽

Key Success Factor

Abstract Introduction The Centres for Evidence into Health Policy created by the CONFIDE project are multidisciplinary; they are dedicated not only to health professionals but also to researchers, policy makers as well as other social, environmental and economic stakeholders. Good dissemination and awareness among all stakeholders are the basis of the success and sustainability of the project results. The progress Since the start of the project in October 2017 and after developing a dissemination plan, the first and large-scale dissemination action was the creation of a communication platform and a website. Subsequently, we have setup Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages targeting people more involved in the project. These pages are regularly updated (progress of the project, actions carried out). Two press conferences have taken place in order to reach all targeted audiences in Tunisia. Indeed, our press conferences attracted journalists as well as representatives of NGOs, and health decision-makers in the ministry. A poster and a portfolio were designed in order to introduce the project to partner organizations that provide the students` internships and field trainings. The project also includes a policy game as a tool to bring to the same table the policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders in the community that will further contribute to the dissemination of the CONFIDE project results. Due to the dissemination activities of the Tunisian partners, the academic community in Tunisia has been exposed to a different approach and understanding of public health. The dissemination activities of the CONFIDE results have shed a new light on public health in Tunisia. Conclusions A good diffusion of the project, using tools adapted to the various audiences, will make it possible to reach a large and multidisciplinary target public and to associate them with the project. This is a key success factor for the sustainability of the Centres for Evidence into Health Policy.

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Breaking the back of love: attachment goes neuro-molecular

Reassessing Attachment Theory in Child Welfare ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781447336914.003.0006 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 107-122

Author(s):

Sue White ◽

Matthew Gibson ◽

David Wastell ◽

Patricia Walsh

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Attachment Theory ◽

Public Health Policy ◽

Evolutionary Biology ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Developmental Neuroscience ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

New Generation

This chapter explores how attachment theory is increasingly going ‘under the skin’, looking for fundamental biological mechanisms to explain behaviours and consequences. Attachment scholars and researchers have sought new alignments with developments in evolutionary biology and developmental neuroscience. All these domains — despite inconsistent findings, thorny issues relating to extrapolations from animal work, and problems with replication — are purported to provide further support for attachment theory's veracity. In addition, they dangle the tantalising prospects of better targeting of interventions and more efficacious clinical approaches to fixing the effects of disrupted attachments, including some normative and sensitive matters such as the onset of puberty, and what are somewhat euphemistically called ‘reproductive strategies’, often meaning girls having babies too early. This ‘new generation’ of biological reasoning looks to the molecular level to explain health inequalities, with the prevention of adverse childhood experiences on the ‘to do’ list for public health policy makers. This has profound potential implications for child welfare practices.

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