Populations and the Law: The Changing Scope of Health Policy

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Fox

Changes in the scope of health policy in the United States are creating opportunities and obligations for lawmakers and the lawyers who advise them. These changes are the result of a new politics of policy for the health of populations. The new politics is connecting areas of policy that, because they have had separate histories, are governed by distinct, usually uncoordinated laws and regulations.The subject of the new politics of health policy is what the Iowa Senate President, speaking in a plenary at the 2003 conference on Public Health Law in the 21st Century, called the “quality of life, what the people think is important.” An increasing number of leaders in general govemment–people who run for office and their staff–have practical reasons to make policy that acknowledges the expanding scope of what their constituents define as health policy.

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-397
Author(s):  
Todd A. Gilson ◽  
Anthony Deldin

In the next 45 years it is estimated that individuals aged 65 and older will increase by 93% in the United States. This population will require a reexamination in thinking related to what retirement is and how seniors desire to maintain their quality of life. Thus, with this demographic shift, new career opportunities will be available for students in older adult fitness, and kinesiology graduates can be at the forefront of providing physical activity to promote public health. Through the exploration of an off-campus clinical exercise gerontology experience at Northern Illinois University, specifics of the program and potential barriers are discussed, with an eye toward assisting other institutions that wish to begin/enhance a similar program. Finally, benefits and future opportunities are highlighted showing how this partnership has led to an improved quality of life for seniors and strengthened relationships with the larger community.


2017 ◽  
pp. 1415-1429
Author(s):  
Michelle Lee D'Abundo ◽  
Stephen L. Firsing III ◽  
Cara Lynn Sidman

Education and health are among the most salient issues facing Americans today. The field of public health has moved away from a physical health medical model to a more well-being focused quality-of-life perspective. K-20 curriculums in the United States need to reflect this ideological shift. In this chapter, content-focused curriculums with process-focused health behavior change-oriented learning are proposed as a strategy to promote well-being. Other issues that need to be addressed in the current education system are that the delivery of health-related curriculums is often inconsistent and taught by untrained personnel. Well-being-focused curriculums delivered online can provide consistency to improve the quality of health courses. This innovative approach has the potential to improve educational and health outcomes for K-20 curriculums while addressing public health issues by promoting well-being and quality-of-life for children and adults throughout the United States.


Author(s):  
Victoria Barroso ◽  
Ascensión Barroso ◽  
Ramón Sanguino ◽  
M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández

Diabetes mellitus is considered a public health issue worldwide, with a high prevalence. It is a direct cause of death, disability, and high health costs. In addition, it generates a series of complications of variable types and degrees that have frequent negative effects on the quality of life of the people who suffer from it. Efficiency in public health implies a reduction in costs and improvements in citizens’ quality of life. With the twofold aim of rationalizing costs and promoting an improvement in the care of people with diabetes, we propose a project: a Diabetes Day Hospital (DDH) in Extremadura (Spain). This involves a new organizational model which has already been implemented in other European regions, generating satisfactory results. This study includes details on the structure and operation of the DDH, as well as the expected costs. The DDH allows for a proper coordination among the parties involved in the monitoring and treatment of the disease, and reduces the costs derived from unnecessary admissions and chronic complications. Results show that efficiency in the regional health system could be improved and a significant amount of money could be saved.


2021 ◽  
pp. 82-93
Author(s):  
Valentina Afanas'evna Sushko

The subject of this research is the analysis of the impact of social capital upon the quality of life. The author reveals the theoretical-methodological approaches of foreign and Russian scholars towards the concept of social capital and its components. In the course of research, it was established that personal social capital affects the quality of life of the Russian residents, outlines the circle of their interests and values, as well as provides real opportunities for the fulfillment of personal interests and needs. This article leans on the empirical data that was obtained as a result of a questionnaire-based survey conducted in 2019 and involved 1,803 people from 22 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The main conclusion of this research consists in the statement that personal social capital, namely such its components as financial security and social connections, affect the quality of life of the people, to a certain extent form the range of their interests and values, as well as provide real opportunities for the fulfillment of personal interests and needs.


Author(s):  
Michelle Lee D'Abundo ◽  
Stephen L. Firsing III ◽  
Cara Lynn Sidman

Education and health are among the most salient issues facing Americans today. The field of public health has moved away from a physical health medical model to a more well-being focused quality-of-life perspective. K-20 curriculums in the United States need to reflect this ideological shift. In this chapter, content-focused curriculums with process-focused health behavior change-oriented learning are proposed as a strategy to promote well-being. Other issues that need to be addressed in the current education system are that the delivery of health-related curriculums is often inconsistent and taught by untrained personnel. Well-being-focused curriculums delivered online can provide consistency to improve the quality of health courses. This innovative approach has the potential to improve educational and health outcomes for K-20 curriculums while addressing public health issues by promoting well-being and quality-of-life for children and adults throughout the United States.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-21
Author(s):  
Evangel Sarwar

Adequate food consumption is essential to stay alive. However, overconsumption and consumption of nutritionally deficient food can increase risks of obesity that negatively impacts health; ultimately leading to more expensive medical treatments, reduced quality of life, and early death – making it a public health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes there is an increase in the prevalence of infant, childhood and adolescent obesity, and this is alarming because obesity can affect a child's immediate health, educational attainment, and quality of life. Overweight children are likely to be obese as an adult and consequently be at risk for various chronic illnesses. The prevalence of severe obesity in the United States has alarmingly increased among children, and research suggests that approximately 90% of children with severe obesity will become obese adults depending on the age at which these children became obese. This only shows that obesity is a precursor for a far more significant public health crisis that is about to explode with time. Moreover, obesity is also associated with the development of psychosocial implications such as diminished self-esteem and self-worth as a result of associated social and peer stigma. According to experts, the focus on childhood obesity should be on prevention rather than on the treatment of obesity. Even though obesity has been identified as the overconsumption of calorically dense and high-fat foods and inadequate physical activity, there is a socioeconomic dimension to the obesity crisis. This raises ethical questions regarding the role of government in implementing policies to eliminate obesity. To address obesity, it is better to understand it at the community level. Better policies that address the socioeconomic issues and environmental factors that fuel the obesity epidemic are needed – with that in mind; this paper aims to target these issues at the community and policy level.


2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Greenacre

Paternalism is defined as an action that infringes a person’s liberty and is performed without their consent, but is intended to improve a person’s welfare. As such, many public health policies are criticized as being paternalistic because they attempt to influence citizens’ behaviours to prevent disease or injury. Therefore, public health advocates ought to be aware of what justifies paternalism. Arguments based on the harm principle are the strongest defense of paternalistic policies in Western culture, but reinforcing an individual’s integrity and improving social welfare may also be considered sufficient reasons. In practice, what is considered sufficient reason for paternalism depends upon the culture of the affected society. Collectivist cultures are willing to accept a paternalistic policy in exchange for a better quality of life for their whole community, but individualist cultures are very averse to such a trade. This article provides examples of how these principles arise in the debate over implementing anti-obesity legislation. Advocates must recognize paternalism and know when it is acceptable in order to defend public health policy from that common criticism.


Author(s):  
Monika Mitra ◽  
Linda Long-Bellil ◽  
Robyn Powell

This chapter draws on medical, social, and legal perspectives to identify and highlight ethical issues pertaining to the treatment, representation, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in public health policy and practice. A brief history of disability in the United States is provided as a context for examining the key ethical issues related to public health policy and practice. Conceptual frameworks and approaches to disability are then described and applied. The chapter then discusses the imperativeness of expanding access to public health programs by persons with disabilities, the need to address implicit and structural biases, and the importance of including persons with disabilities in public health decision-making.


Author(s):  
Elliot Friedman ◽  
Beth LeBreton ◽  
Lindsay Fuzzell ◽  
Elizabeth Wehrpsann

By many estimates the majority of adults over age 65 have two or more chronic medical conditions (multimorbidity) and are consequently at increased risk of adverse functional outcomes. Nonetheless, many older adults with multimorbidity are able to maintain high levels of function and retain good quality of life. Research presented here is designed to understand the influences that help ensure better functional outcomes in these older adults. This chapter presents findings that draw on data from the Midlife in the United States study. The independent and interactive contributions of diverse factors to multimorbidity and changes in multimorbidity over time are reviewed. The degree that multimorbidity increases risk of cognitive impairment and disability is examined. The role of inflammation as a mediator is considered. Multimorbidity is increasingly the norm for older adults, so better understanding of factors contributing to variability in multimorbidity-related outcomes can lead to improved quality of life.


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