Population health: challenges for science and society

The Milbank Quarterly
David Mechanic

Abstract

The emphasis on risk factor intervention at the individual level has predominated in efforts to reduce mortality and promote health. Interest in social and other nonmedical interventions, particularly socioeconomic status (SES) influences, has increased in recent years. This article focuses on the interaction of social structure and socioeconomic status with other influences in complex pathways to affect health, and their contribution to health disparities. It examines both social class as an explanation of health differences and competing hypotheses concerning prenatal and early nutrition and cognitive capacity. Although education is associated with income, wealth, occupation, and other SES indicators and may not be the most important SES determinant, it influences a variety of pathways to health outcomes and offers strategic leverage for intervention because of social and political consensus on its value beyond health.

References

May 1, 1978·American Journal of Public Health·D Mechanic
Mar 1, 1985·International Journal of Epidemiology·G Rose
Feb 1, 1983·Annals of Internal Medicine·H Waitzkin
Nov 1, 1980·Scientific American·R A Stallones
Jan 1, 1995·Journal of Health and Social Behavior·B G Link, J Phelan
Jul 15, 1995·BMJ : British Medical Journal·D J Barker
Jan 1, 1996·Social Science & Medicine·I T Elo, S H Preston
Feb 19, 1997·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·M G HuninkM C Weinstein
Mar 3, 1998·American Journal of Epidemiology·E SusserA Brown
Jun 9, 1998·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health·G Davey SmithV Hawthorne
Jul 31, 1998·The New England Journal of Medicine·R L Goldenberg, D J Rouse
Aug 1, 1998·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·S M LeskoA A Mitchell
Aug 1, 1998·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·M H Malloy
Jul 10, 1999·Social Science & Medicine·T R Curtin, E A Nelson
Feb 15, 2001·International Journal of Epidemiology·J E Harding
Dec 4, 2001·BMJ : British Medical Journal·D J BarkerJ G Eriksson
Mar 20, 2002·Health Affairs·David Mechanic
Mar 27, 2002·International Journal of Epidemiology·George Davey Smith, Ezra Susser
Apr 3, 2002·Pediatrics·Harold A Pollack, John G Frohna
Dec 10, 2002·Annual Review of Public Health·Paul H Wise
Apr 25, 2003·Maternal and Child Health Journal·Michael C Lu, Neal Halfon
Jun 28, 2003·BMJ : British Medical Journal·N J Wald, M R Law
Jan 14, 2004·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Linda S Gottfredson
Mar 18, 2004·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health·E LahelmaA Aittomäki
Sep 7, 2004·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·D J P Barker
Dec 15, 2004·Journal of Health and Social Behavior·Jo C PhelanBruce Levin
Aug 4, 2005·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·David St ClairLin He
Oct 28, 2005·The New England Journal of Medicine·David J P BarkerJohan G Eriksson
Oct 28, 2005·The New England Journal of Medicine·Matthew W Gillman
Mar 18, 2006·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Rod JacksonSam Harper
Mar 18, 2006·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Douglas G ManuelCameron A Mustard
Aug 26, 2006·International Journal of Epidemiology·Richard S CooperPedro Orduñez-Garcia
Sep 1, 2006·The New England Journal of Medicine·David M CutlerSandeep Vijan
Nov 15, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Craig A Cooney
Nov 15, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jennifer E CropleyDavid I K Martin

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Nov 26, 2010·Journal of Community Health·Robert J McGrathJohn W Seavey
Sep 5, 2012·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Nicholas B KingMeredith E Young
May 1, 2010·Population Health Metrics·David FeenyBentson H McFarland
Jun 2, 2011·Infectious Disease Clinics of North America·Mushtaq AhmedAlex O Awiti
Jan 27, 2010·Social Science & Medicine·Jason Schnittker, George Karandinos
Aug 19, 2009·Health Services Research·Glen P Mays, Sharla A Smith
Dec 12, 2012·Nursing Inquiry·Shannon E MacDonaldLinda Reutter
Apr 10, 2010·The Milbank Quarterly·Sam HarperJohn Lynch
Feb 19, 2013·Annals of Epidemiology·Casey CrumpEunice Rodriguez
Oct 8, 2014·Population Health Management·Abbey C SidebottomJackie L Boucher
May 1, 2007·International Journal of Law and Psychiatry·Uri AviramIsrael Sykes
Dec 22, 2010·Journal of Health and Social Behavior·Monica J Casper, Daniel R Morrison
Sep 13, 2007·Health Affairs·David Mechanic, Jennifer Tanner
Mar 12, 2008·Health Affairs·Dolores Acevedo-GarciaDavid R Williams
Nov 27, 2018·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Erika Blacksher

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.