The Role of Public Health Professionals in Obesity Policy

Public health professionals recognize the critical role the law plays in determining the success of public health measures. Even before September 11, 2001, public health experience with tobacco use, HIV, industrial pollution and other potent threats to the health of the public demonstrated that laws can assist or thwart public health efforts. The new focus on infectious threats and bioterrorism, starting with the anthrax attacks through the mail and continuing with SARS, has highlighted the important role of law.For lawyers to serve as effective partners in public health, they should have a basic familiarity with public health: how public health professionals see the world and the key issues they tackle. A practical grasp of public health can be acquired, and often is acquired, “on the job.”

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Mental Health of Children and Youth and the Role of Public Health Professionals

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e573402011-001 ◽

2011 ◽

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Public Health Professionals

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Fighting Big Soda at the Local Level

The Practical Playbook II ◽

10.1093/med/9780190936013.003.0040 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 389-406

Author(s):

Nikki Highsmith Vernick ◽

Glenn E. Schneider

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Local Level ◽

Western World ◽

National Strategy ◽

Public Health Professionals ◽

Sugary Drinks ◽

Policy Goals ◽

Food And Nutrition

This chapter provides an example of focused work at the local level to achieve policy goals related to food and nutrition and discusses the role of philanthropy in leading a multi-sector partnership. Public health professionals, researchers, and advocates are calling for a comprehensive national strategy to fight the ongoing epidemics in the Western world related to the over consumption of sugar. The chapter uses the case of taking on what it calls Big Soda (sugary drinks) as an example of a success story so far.

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Public health participation in alcohol licensing decisions in England: the importance of navigating “contested space”

Drugs and Alcohol Today ◽

10.1108/dat-05-2020-0025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 323-335

Author(s):

Linda Somerville ◽

Betsy Thom ◽

Rachel Herring

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Public Health Practice ◽

Police Reform ◽

Content Type ◽

Contested Spaces ◽

Public Health Departments ◽

Contested Space ◽

Public Health Professionals

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of Public Health in licensing following The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act of 2011, which added ‘health bodies’ as responsible authorities in licensing; in practice, Directors of Public Health undertook this role in England. Despite this legislation facilitating the inclusion of public health in partnerships around licensing, wide variations in involvement levels by public health professionals persist. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the findings from interviews that explored the experiences of public health professionals engaging with local established partnerships around alcohol licensing. Qualitative data were collected through 21 interviews in a purposeful sample of London boroughs. These data were combined with analyses of relevant area documentation and observations of 14 licensing sub-committee meetings in one London borough over a seven-month period. Thematic analysis of all data sources was conducted to identify emerging themes. Findings This study highlighted the importance of successful navigation of the “contested space” (Hunter and Perkins, 2014) surrounding both public health practice and licensing partnerships. In some instances, contested spaces were successfully negotiated and public health departments achieved an increased level of participation within the partnership. Ultimately, improvements in engagement levels of public health teams within licensing could be achieved. Originality/value The paper explores a neglected aspect of research around partnership working and highlights the issues arising when a new partner attempts to enter an existing partnership.

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