Challenges and Opportunities of Health Protection in the Twenty-First Century

Globally, changes of macro-determinants of health occur as consequences of population movement, urbanization, globalization, technology advancement, and globalized living environments in the twenty-first century. Rayner and Lang (2012) argue that these transitions have changed the dynamics among humans, their activity patterns and the living eco-system. Regardless of development status, these health transitions change the human health determinants and outcomes. One of the latest frontiers in public health protection is to understand how these macro transitions might affect human health risks, disease outcomes, and the ecosystems that support and sustain living creatures. This chapter discusses current understanding of how some of these transitions, including globalization, demographic, epidemiological, economic, ecological, energy, technological, nutrition, and urban transitions, may be associated with health and well-being.