Main description:

The author explores the role of social and economic injustices as root causes of the uneven distribution of disease across population groups according to class, race and gender. There is a strong relation between social and economic inequities and health inequities and the author shows how to develop a framework to understand social and economic policies that would improve the health status of all segments of society. The book explores the global public health issues, processes for influencing policy, and the skills to effectively advocate for health and social justice.

Contents:

Introduction x Acknowledgments xix The Editor xxii The Contributors xxv PART I Human Rights, Social Justice, Economics, Poverty, and Health Care 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights 5 2. Public Health as Social Justice 11 Dan E. Beauchamp 3. What We Mean by Social Determinants of Health 21 Vicente Navarro 4. The Magic Mountain: Trickle-Down Economics in a Philippine Garbage Dump 39 Matthew Power 5. Family Medicine Should Encourage the Development of Luxury Practices: Negative Position 55 Martin Donohoe PART TWO Special Populations 6. Homelessness in the United States: History, Epidemiology, Health Issues, Women, and Public Policy 77 Martin Donohoe 7. Historical and Contemporary Factors Contributing to the Plight of Migrant Farmworkers in the United States 85 Safina Koreishi, Martin Donohoe 8. The Persistence of American Indian Health Disparities 99 David S. Jones 9. Prejudice and the Medical Profession: A Five-Year Update 123 Peter A. Clark 10. Sexual and Gender Minority Health: What We Know and What Needs to Be Done 153 Kenneth H. Mayer, Judith B. Bradford, Harvey J. Makadon, Ron Stall, Hilary Goldhammer, Stewart Landers 11. Mental Disorders, Health Inequalities, and Ethics: A Global Perspective 171 Emmanuel M. Ngui, Lincoln Khasakhala, David Nndetei, Laura Weiss Roberts 12. Incarceration Nation: Health and Welfare in the Prison System in the United States 193 Martin Donohoe PART THREE Women s Health 13. Individual and Societal Forms of Violence Against Women in the United States and the Developing World: An Overview 217 Martin Donohoe 14. Obstacles to Abortion in the United States 233 Martin Donohoe 15. The Way It Was 249 Eleanor Cooney PART FOUR Obesity, Tobacco, and Suicide by Firearms: The Modern Epidemics 16. Weighty Matters: Public Health Aspects of the Obesity Epidemic 265 Martin Donohoe 17. Cigarettes: The Other Weapons of Mass Destruction 287 Martin Donohoe 18. Guns and Suicide in the United States 295 Matthew Miller, David Hemenway PART FIVE Food: Safety, Security, and Disease 19. Factory Farms as Primary Polluter 303 Martin Donohoe 20. Genetically Modified Foods: Health and Environmental Risks and the Corporate Agribusiness Agenda 307 Martin Donohoe 21. Opposition to the Use of Hormone Growth Promoters in Beef and Dairy Cattle Production (American Public Health Association Policy Statement, Adopted 2009) 319 Elanor Starmer, David Wallinga, Rick North, Martin Donohoe PART SIX Environmental Health 22. Roles and Responsibilities of Health Care Professionals in Combating Environmental Degradation and Social Injustice: Education and Activism 333 Martin Donohoe 23. Global Warming: A Public Health Crisis Demanding Immediate Action 355 Martin Donohoe 24. Flowers, Diamonds, and Gold: The Destructive Public Health, Human Rights, and Environmental Consequences of Symbols of Love 365 Martin Donohoe 25. Is a Modest Health Care System Possible? 385 Andrew Jameton PART SEVEN War and Violence 26. The Health Consequences of the Diversion of Resources to War and Preparation for War 399 Victor W. Sidel, Barry S. Levy 27. A Brief Summary of the Medical Impacts of Hiroshima 405 Robert Vergun, Martin Donohoe, Catherine Thomasson, Pamela Vergun 28. Medical Science Under Dictatorship 409 Leo Alexander 29. War, Rape, and Genocide: Never Again? 427 Martin Donohoe PART EIGHT Corporations and Public Health 30. Combating Corporate Control: Protecting Education, Media, Legislation, and Health Care 439 Martin Donohoe 31. The Pharmaceutical Industry: Friend or Foe? 451 Jennifer R. Niebyl 32. Unnecessary Testing in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and General Medicine: Causes and Consequences of the Unwarranted Use of Costly and Unscientific (yet Profitable) Screening Modalities 463 Martin Donohoe 33. Urine Trouble: Practical, Legal, and Ethical Issues Surrounding Mandated Drug Testing of Physicians 473 Martin Donohoe PART NINE Achieving Social Justice in Health Care Through Education and Activism 34. Promoting Public Understanding of Population Health 493 Stephen Bezruchka 35. Some Ideas for a Common Agenda 509 Peter Montague, Carolyn Raffensperger 36. Taking On Corporate Power and Winning 521 Robert Weissman 37. US Health Care: Single-Payer or Market Reform 551 David U. Himmelstein, Steffie Woolhandler 38. US Health Professionals Oppose War 563 Walter J. Lear 39. The Residency Program in Social Medicine of Montefiore Medical Center: 37 Years of Mission-Driven, Interdisciplinary Training in Primary Care, Population Health, and Social Medicine 571 A. H. Strelnick, Debbie Swiderski, Alice Fornari, Victoria Gorski, Eliana Korin, Philip Ozuah, Janet M. Townsend, Peter A. Selwyn 40. Stories and Society: Using Literature to Teach Medical Students About Public Health and Social Justice 597 Martin Donohoe Index 609