Title |
Causal narratives in public health: the difference between mechanisms of aetiology and mechanisms of prevention in non‐communicable diseases
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Published in |
Sociology of Health & Illness, October 2017
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DOI | 10.1111/1467-9566.12621 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Michael P. Kelly, Federica Russo |
Abstract |
Research in the health sciences has been highly successful in revealing the aetiologies of many morbidities, particularly those involving the microbiology of communicable disease. This success has helped form a narrative to be found in numerous public health documents, about interventions to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (e.g., obesity or alcohol related pathologies). These focus on tackling the purported pathogenic factors causing the diseases as a means of prevention. In this paper, we argue that this approach has been sub-optimal. The mechanisms of aetiology and of prevention are sometimes significantly different and failure to make this distinction has hindered efforts at preventing non-communicable diseases linked to diet, exercise and alcohol consumption. We propose a sociological approach as an alternative based on social practice theory. (A virtual abstract for this paper can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_979cmCmR9rLrKuD7z0ycA). |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 76 | 33% |
Australia | 13 | 6% |
United States | 12 | 5% |
Netherlands | 8 | 3% |
Spain | 7 | 3% |
Switzerland | 5 | 2% |
Norway | 4 | 2% |
Denmark | 4 | 2% |
Canada | 3 | 1% |
Other | 20 | 9% |
Unknown | 79 | 34% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 105 | 45% |
Scientists | 76 | 33% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 45 | 19% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 5 | 2% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 143 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 21 | 15% |
Researcher | 16 | 11% |
Student > Master | 15 | 10% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 10 | 7% |
Student > Bachelor | 10 | 7% |
Other | 34 | 24% |
Unknown | 37 | 26% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 26 | 18% |
Social Sciences | 22 | 15% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 12 | 8% |
Psychology | 7 | 5% |
Philosophy | 5 | 3% |
Other | 28 | 20% |
Unknown | 43 | 30% |