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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.
List of 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
About the author
Louise Warwick-Booth is Reader in Health Promotion, and an Associate Director of the Centre for Health Promotion Research at Leeds Beckett University.
Ruth Cross is Course Director in the School of Health and Community Studies at Leeds Beckett University.
Diane Lowcock is a retired former Senior Lecturer in Health Promotion at Leeds Beckett University.
Summary
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.
Report
'The 2nd edition of Contemporary Health Studies provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of 'Health Studies'. It is up-to-date, accessible and informative, drawing on a wide range of examples and emerging trends in health. It will be a key resource for those studying on a variety of health-related courses.'
Dr Liam Foster, University of Sheffield
