Revisiting our social justice roots in population health intervention research.

摘要

Public health has its roots in social justice. Descriptions of public health work in the early 20th century reveal the appalling living conditions of the poor and the inequities that were predominant at the time. Class distinctions were apparent in life expectancy, and in differential rates of access to sanitation, clean water, education, food and adequate housing. Although there have been many improvements in the overall health of Canadians during the past century, substantial inequities remain. Canadian and international reports have implored us to take action on these inequities. In this knowledge age, when we are working to build population health interventions on a solid foundation of theory and rigorous methods, it is important to revisit the social justice roots of population health interventions and consider why, as practitioners and scientists, we have sometimes deviated from these val-ues.