Main description:

Contemporary Health Studies provides an accessible introduction to current issues and key debates in understanding and promoting health. Its up-to-date, global focus places a strong emphasis on the social, political and environmental dimensions of health.

Part One sets the scene by looking closely at the definition of 'health' and outlining the aims and purpose of health studies. Part Two explores the different disciplines that underpin health studies, such as sociology, psychology, anthropology and health psychology, incorporating new theoretical frameworks to help readers understand health. Part Three applies this knowledge to address the determinants of health, including chapters on individual factors, the role of public health, the latest policy influences on health and the growing importance of the global context. Each chapter contains contemporary statistics and evidence alongside carefully developed learning features designed to highlight the fundamentals of each topic, to apply these to in-depth case studies - from global antibiotic resistance to the challenge and promise of digital data -, and to pose questions for reflection and debate.

Contemporary Health Studies is an essential guide for undergraduate health students written by three authors who have a wealth of teaching experience in this subject area. Their book will inspire readers to consider the human experience of health within contemporary global society as it is mediated by individual, societal and global contexts.

Contents:

Introduction

Part 1: Understanding and Promoting Health

Chapter 1 - What is Health?

Chapter 2 - Contemporary Threats to Health

Chapter 3 - Investigating Health

Part 2: The Disciplinary Context of Health Studies

Chapter 4 - Sociology

Chapter 5 - Social Anthropology

Chapter 6 - Health Psychology

Chapter 7 - Health Promotion

Part 3: Influences upon Health

Chapter 8 - Individual Characteristics and their Influence upon Health

Chapter 9 - Social and Community Characteristics and their Influence upon Health

Chapter 10 - The Physical Environment and its Influence upon Health

Chapter 11 - Policy Influences upon Health

Chapter 12- The Global Context of Health

Chapter 13 - Synthesizing Perspectives: Case Studies for Action

Glossary