The rise and fall and rise of Public Health

Question 1

What is public health?

Answer 1

The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations (public and private), communities and individuals

Question 2

What is the intervention ladder and what does each step mean?

Answer 2

1) Do nothing or simply monitor the situation
2) Provide information e.g. Campaign for 5 a day
3) Enable choice e.g. ‘stop smoking programmes, cycle lanes, free fruit in schools
4) Guide choices through changing the default policy e.g. Restaurants make health option the norm with chips as option
5) Guide choices through incentives
6) Guide choice through disincentives
7) Restrict choice e.g. Removing unhealthy ingredients from food in shops or restaurants
8) Eliminate choice

Question 3

What should clinical practitioners do in regards to public health?

Answer 3

Must be advocates e.g.

Health promotion campaigns, vaccine safety, surveillance outbreaks etc.