Healthy Public Policy

This page contains a number of resources that students can use when first being introduced to the concepts of Healthy Public Policy.

Public policy...

"...is policy at any level of government. Some levels may have formal or legal precedence over others. Policy may be set by heads of government, legislatures, and regulatory agencies empowered by other constituted authorities. Supranational institutions' policies, as those of the World Trade Organisation or United Nations Conventions, may overrule government policies." (Milio, 2001)

Healthy public policies...

"...improve the conditions under which people live: secure, safe, adequate, and sustainable livelihoods, lifestyles, and environments, including housing, education, nutrition, information exchange, child care, transportation, and necessary community and personal social and health services. Policy adequacy may be measured by its impact on population health." (Milio, 2001)

References and Recommended Reading

Allen, P., Pilar, M., Walsh-Bailey, C., Hooley, C., Mazzucca, S., Lewis, C. C., ... & Brownson, R. C. (2020). Quantitative measures of health policy implementation determinants and outcomes: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 15(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-01007-w

Brownson, R. C., Chriqui, J. F., & Stamatakis, K. A. (2009). Understanding evidence-based public health policy. American journal of public health, 99(9), 1576-1583.

Cairney, P. (2022). The myth of ‘evidence-based policymaking’in a decentred state. Public Policy and Administration, 37(1), 46-66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076720905016

Carey, G., Crammond, B., & Keast, R. (2014). Creating change in government to address the social determinants of health: how can efforts be improved?. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 1087.https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-1087

Coles, L., & Porter, E. (Eds.). (2011). Policy and Strategy for Improving Health and Wellbeing. Learning Matters.

Emmons, K. M., & Chambers, D. A. (2021). Policy implementation science–an unexplored strategy to address social determinants of health. Ethnicity & Disease, 31(1), 133. https://doi.org/10.18865%2Fed.31.1.133

Eyler, A. A., Chriqui, J. F., Moreland-Russell, S., & Brownson, R. C. (2016). Prevention, policy, and public health. Oxford University Press.

Eyler, A., Brownson, R., Schmid, T., & Pratt, M. (2010). Understanding policies and physical activity: frontiers of knowledge to improve population health. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7(s1), S9-S12. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.7.s1.s9

Jochelson, K. (2005). Nanny or steward. The role of government in public health. King’s Fund, London. [www]

Huang, T. T., Cawley, J. H., Ashe, M., Costa, S. A., Frerichs, L. M., Zwicker, L., ... & Kumanyika, S. K. (2015). Mobilisation of public support for policy actions to prevent obesity. The Lancet, 385(9985), 2422-2431.

Lilly, K., Kean, B., Hallett, J., Robinson, S., & Selvey, L. A. (2023). Factors of the policy process influencing Health in All Policies in local government: A scoping review. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1010335. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1010335

Milio, N. (2001). Glossary: healthy public policy. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 55(9), 622-623. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.55.9.622

Nobles, J., Christensen, A., Butler, M., Radley, D., Pickering, K., Saunders, J., ... & Gately, P. (2019). Understanding how local authorities in England address obesity: A wider determinants of health perspective. Health Policy, 123(10), 998-1003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.07.016

Raphael, D. (2014). Beyond policy analysis: the raw politics behind opposition to healthy public policy. Health Promotion International, 30(2), 380-396. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dau044

Smith, K. E., & Katikireddi, S. V. (2013). A glossary of theories for understanding policymaking. J Epidemiol Community Health, 67(2), 198-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2012-200990

Sparks, M. (2011). Building Healthy Public Policy: don't believe the misdirection. Health Promotion International, 26(3), 259–262. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dar045

Swinburn, B. A. (2008). Obesity prevention: the role of policies, laws and regulations. Australia and New Zealand health policy, 5(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-8462-5-12

Tesh, S., Tuohy, C., Christoffel, T., Hancock, T., Norsigian, J., Nightingale, E., & Robertson, L. (1987). The meaning of healthy public policy. Health Promotion International, 2(3), 257-262. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/2.3.257

Tones, K., Green, J., Cross, R. and Woodall, J. (2015). Health Promotion: Planning and Strategies (3rd Ed.). London: Sage.

Wiley, L. F., Berman, M. L., & Blanke, D. (2013). Who's Your Nanny?: choice, paternalism and public health in the age of personal responsibility. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 41, 88-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/jlme.12048 [www]

Physical Activity Policy

Bellew, B., Bauman, A., Martin, B., Bull, F., & Matsudo, V. (2011). Public policy actions needed to promote physical activity. Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports, 5(4), 340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-011-0180-6

Eyler, A. A., Brownson, R. C., & Schmid, T. L. (2013). Making strides toward active living: the policy perspective. Journal of public health management and practice: JPHMP, 19(3 0 1), S5. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e31828c826c

Zukowska, J., Gobis, A., Krajewski, P., Morawiak, A., Okraszewska, R., Woods, C. B., ... & Bengoechea, E. G. (2022). Which transport policies increase physical activity of the whole of society? A systematic review. Journal of Transport & Health, 27, 101488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2022.101488