week 18

“Whole-Population” Approach
Background

“Since a considerable number of early deaths among
Canadians could be prevented through modification of
behavioral risk factors, there needs to be a comprehensive
plan to make the changes possible.”

Decisions about smoking, level of activity, and dietary intake
are fundamentally and intrinsically linked to individual,
cultural, environmental, and commercial factors.
• The major modifiable risk factors for disease often vary across
different ecological levels
– Neighbourhoods, regions, provinces, countries

why choose the whole pop approach over the high risk pop approach

Aims to change social norms of behaviour, does not focus on medical model or indv approach

targets all individuals, regardless of risk status, with the goal of shifting
the entire risk factor distribution in a positive direction

What is Population-Level Prevention?

This is a public health-oriented approach to
preventive medicine and public health which
predicts that shifting the population
distribution of a risk factor prevents more
BURDEN OF DISEASE than targeting people at
high risk

It starts with the recognition that the occurrence of
common exposures and diseases reflects the functioning
of society as a whole.
Moderate and achievable change by a population
as a whole can greatly reduce the number of
people developing problems

obacco taxes represent a great example of a
very effective population-level intervention
for reducing tobacco use

benefits to a population prevention strategy

ex. education, public awareness, policy

Confronts the social and political “root causes” of disease
• The societal effects of a distributional shift may be large
• It may be more culturally appropriate and sustainable to seek
a general change in behavioral norms and in the social values
that facilitate their adoption than to attempt to individually
change behaviors that are socially conditioned
“when many people receive a little benefit from
a prevention intervention, the total benefit to
the population can be large”

policy 29

The University prohibits the Smoking of cannabis, tobacco or other products that produce
smoke and/or vapour on University Property as well as the use of Tobacco Products.
▪ Exceptions:
▪ Traditional Indigenous cultural or spiritual smudging ceremonies or research that has received
all required clearances
▪ Nicotine replacement therapy products (e.g. nicotine transdermal patches and gums).
▪ Employees or students may request accommodations on medical and/or other grounds
protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code (i.e. religion/creed) by contacting
AccessAbility Services (for students) or Occupational Health (for employees).