The Population Health Forum is a group based at
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, and composed of academics, citizens, students, and activists from around North America.
Purpose and activities
Activities include development of academic curricula for middle and high schools, advocacy, and maintenance of a population health listserv.
They focus on raising awareness of the
population health issue and the
social determinants of health
The social determinants of health (SDOH) are the economic and social conditions that influence individual and group differences in health status. They are the health promoting factors found in one's living and working conditions (such as the d ...
. The forum focuses on the role that
economic inequality
There are wide varieties of economic inequality, most notably income inequality measured using the distribution of income (the amount of money people are paid) and wealth inequality measured using the distribution of wealth (the amount of we ...
and the gap between rich and poor impact a population’s health, using th
“Health Olympics”(a ranking of countries in terms of life expectancy) as a model. The group aims to question why the United States ranks 29th in terms of health while spending half the world’s healthcare bill; it suggests that economic inequality as well as social stressors and loss of
social cohesion
Group cohesiveness (also called group cohesion and social cohesion) arises when bonds link members of a social group to one another and to the group as a whole. Although cohesion is a multi-faceted process, it can be broken down into four main co ...
are prime factors.
Influences
The ideas of the group are heavily influenced by research into the social determinants of health by
social epidemiologists such as
Richard G. Wilkinson
Richard Gerald Wilkinson (born 1943) is a British social epidemiologist, author, advocate, and left-wing political activist. He is Professor Emeritus of social epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, having retired in 2008. He is also Hon ...
and Ichiro Kawachi.
See also
*
Population health
*
Economic inequality
There are wide varieties of economic inequality, most notably income inequality measured using the distribution of income (the amount of money people are paid) and wealth inequality measured using the distribution of wealth (the amount of we ...
*
List of countries by income equality
*
Poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
and
Cycle of poverty
*
Distribution of wealth
The distribution of wealth is a comparison of the wealth of various members or groups in a society. It shows one aspect of economic inequality or economic heterogeneity.
The distribution of wealth differs from the income distribution in that ...
*
Social determinants of health
The social determinants of health (SDOH) are the economic and social conditions that influence individual and group differences in health status. They are the health promoting factors found in one's living and working conditions (such as the d ...
*
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
*
Social determinants of health in poverty
The social determinants of health in poverty describe the factors that affect impoverished populations' health and health inequality. Inequalities in health stem from the conditions of people's lives, including living conditions, work environment ...
External links
Population Health Forum Website
Resources
* Kawachi, I and BP Kennedy. ''The Health of Nations: Why Inequality if Harmful to Your Health.'' New York: The New Press, 2002.
* Wilkinson, R. ''Unhealthy Societies: The Affliction of Inequality.'' London: Routledge, 1996.
* Wilkinson, R. ''The Impact of Inequality: How to Make Sick Societies Healthier.'' New York: The New Press, 2005.
Public health organizations
Health education in the United States
Organizations based in Washington (state)
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