Study Guide — History of Public Health & Health Education/Promotion

Public Health

Public health is the science and practice of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health at the population level through organized community efforts, policy, environment, education, and systems.

Health Education

Health education is the process of imparting information and learning experiences to influence health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.

Health Promotion

Health promotion involves enabling people and communities to increase control over and improve their health through policy, education, and environmental changes.

Population Health

Population health focuses on health outcomes of a group of individuals, including distribution of outcomes within the group.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in populations and the application of this study to control health problems.

Primary Prevention

Primary prevention prevents the initial development of disease or injury (e.g., vaccination, sanitation).

Secondary Prevention

Secondary prevention detects and treats disease early to reduce severity (e.g., screening).

Tertiary Prevention

Tertiary prevention reduces the impact of established disease by restoring function and reducing complications (e.g., rehab).

Determinants of Health

Factors that influence health status, including biology, behavior, social environment, physical environment, and policies.

Social Determinants of Health

Conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age (e.g., income, education, housing) that shape health outcomes.

Germ Theory

The scientific theory that many diseases are caused by microorganisms; a turning point for modern medicine and public health.

Sanitation

The practice of maintaining hygienic conditions (sewage disposal, clean water) to prevent disease.

Vaccination

The administration of a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to protect against disease.

Herd Immunity

Population-level protection that occurs when a high enough proportion of people are immune to a disease, reducing its spread.

Surveillance

Public health surveillance is ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data for planning and action.

John Snow

John Snow used observational methods to link cholera to contaminated water, an early example of epidemiologic investigation.

Lalonde Report (1974)

A landmark report that emphasized lifestyle and environmental determinants of health, expanding focus beyond clinical care.

Healthy People Series

A U.S. national process that sets decade-long measurable objectives for improving population health.

APHA (American Public Health Association)

A professional organization founded in the 19th century to advance public health practice, research, and policy.

Public Health Infrastructure

The systems, workforce, institutions, and resources needed to deliver public health services.

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

A national agency responsible for disease control, prevention, and public health research and response.

NIH (National Institutes of Health)

A national agency focused primarily on biomedical research that informs public health and clinical practice.

Sanitary Movement

A 19th-century effort emphasizing sanitation, clean water, and waste removal to reduce urban disease.

Shattuck Report

A mid-19th-century health report recommending state and local public health departments and sanitation reforms.

Chadwick and Sanitary Reform

Early social reform efforts showing how living conditions affect health and calling for public health interventions.

Middle Ages and Health

A period when many classical public health advances regressed and religion strongly influenced disease explanations.

Hippocratic Tradition

Hippocratic ideas emphasized observation, balance, and natural causes in health and disease.

Roman Public Works

Romans developed large-scale infrastructure (aqueducts, sewers) that reduced disease risks in cities.

Renaissance & Enlightenment

Return to scientific inquiry, printing of medical knowledge, and formation of public health boards.

Bacteriology and Pasteur

Advances in microbiology (Pasteur et al.) provided scientific proof that microorganisms cause disease.

Occupational Health

Public health work addressing workplace hazards and protections to prevent injury and disease.

School Health Programs

School-based health initiatives that provide education, screenings, and services to promote child and adolescent health.

Health Behavior

Actions by individuals that influence health, including diet, exercise, substance use, and preventative measures.

Evidence-Based Public Health

Using the best available research evidence to plan, implement, and evaluate public health programs and policies.

Health Policy

Decisions, plans, and actions enacted by governments or organizations to achieve specific health care goals.

Medicare & Medicaid

Programs that expanded access to health services and influenced public health funding and priorities.

Affordable Care Act (2010)

Health reform legislation that expanded preventive care coverage and encouraged population health approaches.

Pandemic Response

Public health actions taken to prevent, detect, and respond to widespread outbreaks (e.g., surveillance, mitigation).

Professionalization of Health Education

The process by which health education became a recognized occupation with standards, training, and credentials.

APHA Public Health Education Section (1922)

An early formal recognition of public health education within the professional community.

SOC Classification for Health Educators (1997)

Official occupational recognition that helped legitimize and track the health educator workforce.

Why Professionals Are Needed: Complexity

Complex scientific knowledge, program planning, and evaluation require trained specialists.

Why Professionals Are Needed: Behavior Change

Large-scale behavior change for prevention requires theory-based interventions and skilled educators.

Why Professionals Are Needed: Countering Misinformation

Professionals provide accurate, evidence-based information to counter false health claims.

Why Professionals Are Needed: Institutional Roles

Organizations and agencies need qualified staff to design, implement, and evaluate health programs.

Program Planning

A systematic process used by health educators to assess needs, set objectives, design interventions, and evaluate outcomes.

Program Evaluation

Systematically assessing a program’s processes and outcomes to determine effectiveness and guide improvement.

Logic Model

A visual tool that links resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes to explain how a program should work.

SMART Objectives

Objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound for clearer planning.

Health Communication

Strategies and methods used to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health.

Community Assessment

Systematic collection and analysis of data to understand community health needs and resources.

Stakeholder Engagement

Involving people and organizations with an interest in a program to build support and ensure relevance.

Coalition Building

Forming partnerships among organizations to leverage resources and achieve shared health goals.

Social Marketing

Applying marketing principles to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good.

Theory in Health Education

The use of behavioral and social science theories to design interventions that influence health behaviors.

Health Belief Model

A framework that explains health behavior by perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.

Social Cognitive Theory

Explains behavior as influenced by personal factors, environmental factors, and reciprocal determinism; includes modeling and self-efficacy.

Stages of Change (Transtheoretical Model)

Describes stages people go through to change behavior: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance.

Culturally Competent Education

Designing programs that respect and reflect the cultural values, beliefs, and practices of the target audience.

Health Literacy

The ability of individuals to obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions.

Surveillance Systems

Formal systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting health data to detect trends and guide interventions.

Outbreak Investigation

Steps taken to identify the source, transmission, and control measures for an infectious disease outbreak.

Vaccination Campaigns

Large-scale public health programs that deliver immunizations to prevent communicable diseases.

Hygiene Practices

Simple behaviors (handwashing, safe food handling) that reduce transmission of infections.

Water Quality and Public Health

Clean water and proper sewage systems are foundational interventions that dramatically reduce waterborne disease.

Food Safety

Public health actions (inspections, education) that reduce foodborne illness and protect consumers.

Environmental Health

Examines physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person that can potentially affect health.

Built Environment

The human-made surroundings (housing, transport, parks) that influence physical activity, social interaction, and health.

Health Equity

Fairness and justice in health, ensuring all people have the opportunity to reach their full health potential.

Health Disparities

Differences in health outcomes between groups that are systematic, avoidable, and unjust.

Case Study: Cholera & Water

Snow’s cholera work illustrated environmental sources of disease and the value of targeted interventions.

Case Study: Sanitary Reform

Sanitary reforms showed how infrastructure investment (sewers, water) reduced urban mortality in the 19th century.

Timeline Drill Technique

Memorize anchor events in order (ancient sanitation, Hippocrates, Roman works, Black Death, sanitation reports, Snow, Pasteur, APHA, Lalonde, Healthy People, SOC, modern pandemics).

Compare/Contrast Table Technique

Create columns for Era | Dominant Belief | Major Practices to visualize historical change.

Exam Short Answer Strategy

Practice 2–3 sentence answers for each learning objective, then add 1–2 examples to support each point.

Healthy People Impact

Provided measurable national objectives, guided program priorities, and created accountability for prevention efforts.

Lalonde Impact

Shifted health thinking toward lifestyle and environmental determinants beyond medical care.

Measurement in Public Health

Using indicators and targets to track progress and guide resource allocation.

Community-Based Interventions

Programs designed and implemented with community input to address local determinants and needs.

School-Based Health Education

Using schools as venues to teach health skills, provide services, and reach children and families.

Worksite Wellness Programs

Employer-based programs that promote employee health through screenings, education, and policy changes.

Media & Health Promotion

Using mass and social media to deliver health messages and mobilize public behavior change.

Ethics in Public Health

Balancing individual rights with community protection, justice, and beneficence in public policies and programs.

Legal Powers in Public Health

Authorities like quarantine, isolation, and inspection are legal tools used to protect community health.

Risk Communication

Clear, timely, and transparent communication during public health emergencies to build trust and guide behavior.

Cost-Effectiveness in Prevention

Comparing costs and benefits to prioritize interventions that deliver the most health per dollar spent.

Professional Competencies in Health Education

Skills in assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, communication, and advocacy.

Credentialing and Certification

Certification processes (e.g., CHES is an example) that verify professional knowledge and practice standards.

Advocacy for Health Policy

Activities to influence public policy and resource allocation to improve population health.

Emerging Public Health Threats

New challenges like new pathogens, climate change, and changes in social behavior requiring adaptive responses.

Global Health

Transnational health issues and cooperation among countries to prevent and control disease across borders.

One-Page Cheat Sheet Tip

Condense timelines, definitions, and 10 key examples onto one sheet for last-minute review.

Flashcard Study Tip

Use active recall and spaced repetition; review cards in multiple short sessions rather than one long session.

Behavioral Surveillance

Monitoring behaviors (e.g., smoking rates) to inform interventions and policy.

Program Fidelity

Delivering an intervention as designed to ensure expected outcomes and valid evaluation.

Scaling Up Interventions

Expanding successful programs to reach larger populations while maintaining quality.

Sustainability in Programs

Designing programs that can be maintained over time with available resources and local ownership.

Role of Research in Public Health

Generating evidence on causes, interventions, and best practices to inform policy and programs.

Intersectoral Action

Collaboration across sectors (education, transportation, housing) to address complex determinants of health.

Community Resilience

The ability of communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from adverse events.