foundations of public health

A concise statement that conveys the main idea or purpose of a communication effort

Key message

A determinant of health based on individual actions and choices

Behavior

A determinant of health involving genes and heredity

Genetics

A factor that causes disease

Agent

A formal WHO declaration of a global health event requiring coordinated international response

Public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)

A framework that examines multiple levels of influence on health behavior

Ecological model

A living being that harbors or is susceptible to disease

Host

A main goal of public health involving monitoring health indicators

vaccination programs

A model describing stages people go through when changing behavior

Stages of change model

A model explaining disease spread using agent

host

A person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a specific task

Self-efficacy

A perspective viewing healthcare as a commodity

Market justice

A perspective viewing healthcare as a fundamental right

Social justice

A proactive approach to identify individuals who may be carrying a disease

Screening

A psychological model focusing on individual perceptions and beliefs affecting health behavior

Health belief model

A public health goal focused on air

water

A public health goal involving policies and regulations to reduce risks and prevent accidents

Preventing injuries

A public health goal involving preparation for and response to natural disasters

disease outbreaks

A public health goal focused on providing access to high-quality health services and advocating for effective policies

Ensuring the quality and accessibility of health services

A public health goal that includes promoting exercise

healthy diets

A system in which decision-making

coordination

Access to

quality of

An approach considering interconnected biological

social

Care provided to individuals experiencing illness or health conditions

Treatment

Collaborative work with community groups to address health issues

Community engagement

Diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms that can spread between people

Infectious diseases

Environmental factors such as air and water quality

green spaces

External conditions that impact an individual’s health and well-being

Environmental and physical influences

External factors influencing disease transmission

Environment

Factors that directly or indirectly contribute to the occurrence of a disease or condition

Contributory causes

Human-made structures and infrastructure such as housing

transportation

Living organisms that transmit disease-causing pathogens

Disease vectors

Ongoing collection and analysis of health data for public health planning

Surveillance

Proactive efforts to identify disease cases

Active surveillance

Routine data collection without active case finding

Passive surveillance

Separation of individuals exposed to a disease who are not yet symptomatic

Quarantine

Separation of individuals who are infected and symptomatic to prevent disease spread

Isolation

Social and economic conditions in which people live

work

Social and economic conditions such as education

income

The administration of a vaccine to produce immunity

Vaccination

The ability of a pathogen to cause disease

Pathogenicity

The ability of a pathogen to establish infection

Infectivity

The ability of a pathogen to induce an immune response

Antigenicity

The average number of people one infected person will transmit a disease to in a susceptible population

R naught (R₀)

The constant presence or usual prevalence of a disease in a population or geographic area

Endemic disease

The first core public health function focused on evaluating the current state of population health

Assessment

The government’s legal authority to protect public health

safety

The process of stimulating the immune system to protect against disease

Immunization

The second core public health function involving creation of policies and regulations to address health challenges

Policy development

The severity of disease caused by a pathogen

Virulence

The theory that diseases were caused by bad air or environmental factors

Miasma theory

The theory that many diseases are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses

Germ theory

Theories focusing on attitudes

intentions

Tiny living organisms such as bacteria

viruses