Park's preventive and social medicine /

Abstract

Park’s Preventive and Social Medicine is a comprehensive textbook covering principles, methods, and practice of public health. It integrates epidemiology, biostatistics, health planning and management, environmental and occupational health, and social determinants to guide disease prevention and health promotion. Core sections:

Foundations: history, philosophy, determinants of health, health systems, health policy and law. Epidemiology: measures of disease frequency, study designs, screening, outbreak investigation, surveillance, causal inference, and applied epidemiology. Biostatistics & Research Methods: data types, descriptive/inferential statistics, sampling, study design, interpretation, and basics of health research and ethics. Health Programs & Services: national/international health programs, health planning, primary health care, health management, financing, human resources and health information systems. Communicable Diseases: epidemiology, control strategies, immunization, surveillance, and major infections (e.g., TB, malaria, HIV, vaccine-preventable diseases). Non-Communicable Diseases & Injuries: risk factors, prevention, and control of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, mental health, injuries, and substance abuse. Maternal & Child Health and Nutrition: antenatal care, safe motherhood, newborn care, IMNCI, family planning, growth monitoring and community nutrition. Environmental & Occupational Health: water, sanitation, air pollution, housing, food safety, vector control, occupational hazards and industrial health. Community Medicine Practice: health education, behavioral change communication, community diagnosis, school and workplace health, disaster management, and emergency public health. Emphasis is on preventive strategies, evidence-based interventions, community participation, intersectoral action, and public health ethics. The book combines theory with practical guidance for public health professionals, policymakers, and trainees, supporting surveillance, program implementation, and monitoring and evaluation to improve population health outcomes.