Introduction to Population Health Science - 1st Edition

Population health science is the study of the conditions that shape distributions of health within and across populations, and of the mechanisms through which these conditions manifest as the health of individuals. The motivation for this text is outlined, and definitions and assumptions about populations, health, and science are provided. Specifically, populations as collections of people or other organisms that share common characteristics, most often a specific location in which they inhabit, are summarized. To understand the science of health in populations, the process of scientific inquiry and hypothesis formation is articulated, and population health science is distinguished from related disciplines such as public health and preventive medicine. An overview of the first principle of population health science is provided: population health manifests as a continuum.