Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Current and Future Theoretical Foundations for NCDs and Health Promotion

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Global Handbook on Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion

Abstract

Given the recognized burden that NCDs pose in societies today, public health faces the need to develop appropriate responses that help to reduce its occurrence and alleviate its consequences. While it appears obvious that theoretical guidance is needed in particular to support new research directions, we observe that the current theory base is rather poor in NCD research and public health practice including health promotion. The aim of this chapter is to open up new ways of thinking about the issues around theory development for NCDs and health promotion. In this chapter we suggest developing a new theory-based approach that starts with a social definition and theoretical account of the problem of NCDs and health promotion and integrates epidemiologically based knowledge and other empirical data on NCDs into a social science framework. To connect this body of knowledge to action for social change for better health at the population level the framework should include a link to health promotion action. Starting from a social science definition of health, establishing context as the frame of reference for NCD research and action, including all relevant resources and risk factors, is one way of opening up for new approaches in NCDs and health promotion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abel, T., & Frohlich, K. L. (2012). Capitals and capabilities: Linking structure and agency to reduce health inequalities. Social Science & Medicine, 74(2), 236–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antonovsky, A. (1979). Health, stress and coping. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, D. E., Cafiero, E. T., Jané-Llopis, E., Abrahams-Gessel, S., Bloom, L. R., Fathima, S., Feigl, A. B., Gaziano, T., Mowafi, M., Pandya, A., Prettner, K., Rosenberg, L., Seligman, B., Stein, A. Z., & Weinstein, C. (2011). The global economic burden of noncommunicable diseases. Geneva: World Economic Forum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslow, L. (2004). Perspectives: The third revolution in health. Preface to Annual Review of Public Health, 25, 13–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, S. (2012). Social theory and health promotion. In I. Rootman et al. (Eds.), Health promotion in Canada (pp. 33–52). Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press. Chapter 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dooris, M. (2006). Healthy settings: Challenges to generating evidence of effectiveness. Health Promotion International, 21(1), 55–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freese, J., & Lutfey, K. (2011). Fundamental causality: Challenges of an animating concept for medical sociology. In B. A. Pescosolido, J. K. Martin, J. McLeod, & A. Rogers (Eds.), Handbook of the sociology of health, illness, and healing. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. New York, NY: Doubleday-Anchor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, L. W., Kreuter, M. W., Deeds, S. G., & Partridge, K. B. (1980). Health education planning: A diagnostic approach (1st ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, P. A., & Lamont, M. (Eds.). (2009). Successful societies: How institutions and culture affect health. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hays, S. (1994). Structure and agency and the sticky problem of culture. Sociological Theory, 12(1), 57–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huber, M., Knottnerus, J. A., Green, L., van der Horst, H., Jadad, A. R., Kromhout, D., et al. (2011). How should we define health? BMJ, 343, d4163.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • IUHPE. (2007). Shaping the future of health promotion: Priorities for action. Paris: International Union for Health Promotion and Education & Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, N. (2011). Epidemiology and the peoples health. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kuh, D., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Lynch, J., Hallqvist, J., & Power, C. (2003). Life course epidemiology. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health., 57, 778–783.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lahelma, E., Martikainen, P., Laaksonen, M., & Aittomaki, A. (2004). Pathways between socioeconomic determinants of health. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 58, 327–332.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. (1995). Social conditions as fundamental causes of disease. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 35, 80–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luhmann, N. (1964). Funktionen und Folgen formaler Organization. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot.

    Google Scholar 

  • McQueen, D., & Kickbusch, I. (Eds.). (2007). Health and modernity: The role of theory in health promotion. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C. (2003). Education, social status, and health. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • NRC/IOM, National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2012). In S. H. Woolf & L. Aron (Eds.), US health in international perspective: Shorter lives, poorer health. Panel on understanding cross-national health differences among high-income countries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. (1937). The structure of social action. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poland, B., Green, L., & Rootman, I. (Eds.). (2001). Settings for health promotion: Linking theory and practice. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potvin, L., & McQueen, D. (Eds.). (2008). Health promotion evaluation practices in the Americas: Values and research. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1984). The transtheoretical approach: Crossing the traditional boundaries of therapy. Melbourne, FL: Krieger Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnittker, J. (2004). Education and the changing nature of the income gradient in health. Journal of Heath & Social Behavior, 45(3), 286–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shilton, T., Sparks, M., McQueen, D., Lamarre, M.-C., & Jackson, S. (2011). Proposal for new definition of health. BMJ, 343, 5359. letter to the editor.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Susser, M., & Susser, E. (1996). Choosing a future for epidemiology. I. Eras and paradigms. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 668–673.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wallerstein, N. (1988). Empowerment education: Freire’s ideas adapted to health education. Health Education & Behavior, 15, 379–394.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (World Health Organization). (1986). The Ottawa charter for health promotion . Retrieved November 21, 1986, from http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/

  • WHOCSDOH. (2008). Closing the gap in a generation. Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Geneva: WHO.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Social and Behavioural Health Research, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Berne, Niesenweg 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Thomas Abel

  2. 2418 Midvale Court, Tucker, GA, 30084, USA

    David V. McQueen

Authors
  1. Thomas Abel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David V. McQueen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Abel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Emory University, Midvale Court 2418, Atlanta, 30084, Georgia, USA

    David V. McQueen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Abel, T., McQueen, D.V. (2013). Current and Future Theoretical Foundations for NCDs and Health Promotion. In: McQueen, D. (eds) Global Handbook on Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7594-1_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7594-1_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7593-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7594-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation