What Do We Mean When We Say Population Health?

Goal:

To maintain and improve the health status of the entire population, or particular groups of the population, and to reduce inequities in health status between groups.

Definition:

Population health is an approach to health based on research evidence that indicates that strategic actions that affect a large number of people have a greater impact on health than actions that focus on affecting the health status of individuals within a population. Therefore, population health actions are those whose main aim is to make a difference to:

1. a community, such as programs aimed at early child development;
2. a system, such as the development of policies around housing regulations at the municipal or provincial government levels;
3. a whole society, such as universal health care or guaranteed income for seniors.

Many factors determine the health of a population. These are called the determinants of health. Population health is also based on evidence that actions are more likely to improve the health of a population when they work with these determinants, which comprehensively address the entire range of factors affecting quality of life.

These factors, or determinants, include: income and social status, social support networks, education, employment and working conditions, physical and social environments, biology and genetic make-up, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, health services, gender and culture. A population health approach considers issues in terms of the determinants, how the determinants interact with each other and how they impact on a population.

Strategies for Action:

1. Prevention and Promotion are Key
   Strategies that focus on the determinants of health and are aimed at addressing the 'root causes' of health issues have the potential to positively affect the health status of a population. The challenge is to identify which determinants are affecting an issue and then what kinds of actions may best address both the root causes and their impacts on the population.
2. Health is a Collective Responsibility
   To positively influence the determinants requires working with sectors, or partners, other than those involved in health, such as in employment, social services, education or justice. In fact, the most important determinants of health lie outside the formal system of health services. For example, Income and Social Status is named as the single most important determinant of health. Involving more than one sector in strategizing for health, called inter sectoral action, is a key strategy for reaching population health goals.  
3. Decisions are Based on Evidence
   Population health strategies should be based on sound evidence about the factors which determine health and about the potential impacts of interventions. The evidence needs to integrate a variety of data sources, for example epidemiology, sociological studies and experiential knowledge from the community. Evaluation information is also a key data source for knowledge development and to ensure accountability for health outcomes.  
4. Focus on Healthy Public Policy
   Developing healthy public policies at all levels of government is key to providing a health promoting environment. Policies in the economic, education, social services, transportation, housing and other public sectors are of crucial importance to the health of a population. Therefore, influencing policies outside of the health sector is a key population health strategy.

 

"Our mission is to promote and protect the health of Canadians through leadership, partnership, innovation and action in public health."