Introduction: The Conventional Understanding of Health and Its Alternative
How We Understand Threats to Our Health
A New Perspective on Our Health: Rise of an Alternative View
Health Inequalities
The Basis of Health Inequalities
What Lies Ahead
1. Thinking about
Individual and Population Health
Synopsis
Levels of Analysis
Individual-Level Analysis of Health and Disease
Origins of Population Health
Some Notes on Terms
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested
Readings
Annotated Websites
2. Health Care Services and Health Research Methods NEW
Synopsis
Health Care as a Determinant of Health
Health Care or Health?
Issues of Access and Equity
Public Health
Health Research Methods
Theoretical
Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
3. Population Health and Social Epidemiology
Synopsis
The Emergence of the Field Social Epidemiology
Geoffrey Rose and the Population-Health Perspective
The
Impact of Recent Studies on Thinking about Health
The Gradient in Health
The Building Blocks of Theory
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
4. Income, Inequality, and
Health
Synopsis
Income and Health
The Gradient in Health
Understanding the Complex Relationship between Income and Health
The Inequality Hypothesis: Preston, Rodgers, Kaplan, and Wilkinson
The Inequality Hypothesis Under Assault
What Are We to Make of the Literature
on Inequality and Health?
The Importance of Keeping Materialist Arguments Separate from Ones about Hierarchy and Control
Other Explanations for the Correlation between Social Inequality and Health
Income and Income Distribution
Wealth
Public Programs and Services
Poverty and
Its Mitigation
Poverty Mitigation: Social Assistance or Welfare
Lower Taxes or More Public Spending?
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
5. Childhood and the Transition to
Adulthood
Synopsis
Early Childhood
Animal Studies
Contributions from Psychology
Early Childhood Policy
A Note on the Public School System
Older Children and Teens
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested
Readings
Annotated Websites
6. Gender and Health
Synopsis
The Health of Women and Men
The Convergence of Health-Related Behaviour
The Effects of Stable Long-Term Relationships on Health
Distress Among Women
Gender Equity
Education and the Health of Women
and Their Communities
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People
Intersex People
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
7. Social Support, Social Capital, Social Exclusion, and
Racism
Synopsis
Social Norms, Predictability, and Human Health
Social Networks
Social Support and Health
Social Isolation among Older Adults
Social Cohesion
Social Capital
Sense of Community Belonging
Social Exclusion
Racism
Theoretical
Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
8. Health of Indigenous Peoples
Synopsis
Who Are the Indigenous Peoples?
The Health of Indigenous Peoples
Understanding the Determinants of Indigenous
Health
A Story of Dramatic Improvement
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
9. Employment, Working Conditions, and Health
Synopsis
The Centrality of Employment to Adult
Health
Health and Jobs
Unemployment and Health
Changes in the Nature of Employment
Working Conditions and Health
Policies Affecting Employment, Earnings, Job Benefits, and Working Conditions
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated
Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
10. Housing and Neighbourhood
Synopsis
Homes and Health
Neighbourhood and Health
Urban Design, the Built Environment, and Physical Activity
Housing Policy and Health
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical
Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
11. Food, Food Insecurity, Nutrition, Obesity, and Health
Synopsis
Diet and the Health of Populations
What Is a Healthy Diet? Canada's Food Guide
The Relative Cost of Healthy
Foods
Obesity
Diet and Health
Policies and Programs
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
12. The Environment and Health NEW
Synopsis
Climate Change
Natural
Disasters
Modern Food Production: Factory Farming
Air Pollution
Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic
The Household Environment
Plastics
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
13. Social
Patterning of Behaviour
Synopsis
Human Behaviour and Its Context
Substance Misuse
Healthy Lifestyles
Theoretical Considerations
Summary
Critical Thinking Questions
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
14. The Politics of Population
Health
Models of Health
Globalization and Human Health
Population Health and Politics
Annotated Suggested Readings
Annotated Websites
Glossary
References
Index
Student Study Guide: NEW
For each chapter:
- Learning objectives
- Chapter summary with main points
- List of key terms with definitions
- 3-5 study questions with answers
- 3-5 critical thinking questions
- 10-15 annotated multimedia resources (links to
videos, podcasts, interactive websites, etc.)
Test Bank:
- 7-10 essay questions, including a point-form assessment or sample answer for each
For each chapter + introduction:
- 20-25 multiple choice questions
- 10-15 true-or-false questions
- 5-7 short answer
questions
- 3-5 essay questions
- Point-form answers to each question with page references
PowerPoint Slides:
For each chapter:
- 20-30 lecture outline slides with visuals from the text
E-Book ISBN 9780199032242
Loose leaf ISBN 9780199034635
Alan Davidson is associate professor emeritus in the Health and Social Development department in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC-Okanagan.
Health and Society - Edited by James Gillett, Gavin J. Andrews and Mat Savelli
Pursuing Health and Wellness - Alexander Segall and Christopher J. Fries
Health Research Methods - Kate Bassil and Denise Zabkiewicz
