This section of the website is organized into pages dedicated to key issues impacting transport and health. Hover over the main heading for the drop down menu to appear.
World Health Organization Definitions (The full glossary available at the bottom of this page.):
Health - A state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Within the context of health promotion, health has been considered less as an abstract state and more as a means to an end which can be expressed in functional terms as a resource which permits people to lead an individually, socially and economically productive life. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the object of living. It is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities. Recognition of these pre-requisites highlights the inextricable links between social and economic conditions, the physical environment, individual lifestyles and health. A comprehensive understanding of health implies that all systems and structures which govern social and economic conditions and the physical environment should take account of the implications of their activities in relation to their impact on individual and collective health and well-being.
Health Sector - The health sector consists of organized public and private health services (including health promotion, disease prevention, diagnostic, treatment and care services), the policies and activities of health departments and ministries, health related nongovernment organizations and community groups, and professional associations.
Public Health - The science and art of promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society. Public health is a social and political concept aimed at the improving health, prolonging life and improving the quality of life among whole populations through health promotion, disease prevention and other forms of health intervention. Public health is distinguished by its basis in a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which lifestyles and living conditions determine health status, and a recognition of the need to mobilize resources and make sound investments in policies, programs and services which create, maintain and protect health by supporting healthy lifestyles and creating supportive environments for health.
Health Promotion - Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. Health promotion represents a comprehensive social and political process, it not only embraces actions directed at strengthening the skills and capabilities of individuals, but also action directed towards changing social, environmental and economic conditions so as to alleviate their impact on public and individual health. Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. Participation is essential to sustain health promotion action.
Intersectoral Collaboration - A recognized relationship between part or parts of different sectors of society which has been formed to take action on an issue to achieve health outcomes or intermediate health outcomes in a way which is more effective, efficient or sustainable than might be achieved by the health sector acting alone. A major goal in intersectoral action is to achieve greater awareness of the health consequences of policy decisions and organizational practice in different sectors, and through this, movement in the direction of healthy public policy and practice.
Determinants of Health - The range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors which determine the health status of individuals or populations. The factors which influence health are multiple and interactive. Health promotion is fundamentally concerned with action and advocacy to address the full range of potentially modifiable determinants of health – not only those which are related to the actions of individuals, such as health behaviors and lifestyles, but also factors such as income and social status, education, employment and working conditions, access to appropriate health services, and the physical environments.
Healthy Public Policy - Healthy public policy is characterized by an explicit concern for health and equity in all areas of policy, and by an accountability for health impact. The main aim of healthy public policy is to create a supportive environment to enable people to lead healthy lives. Such a policy makes healthy choices possible or easier for citizens. It makes social and physical environments health enhancing. The Ottawa Charter highlighted the fact that health promotion action goes beyond the health care sector, emphasizing that health should be on the policy agenda in all sectors, and at all levels of government. A commitment to healthy public policies means that governments must measure and report on their investments for health, and the subsequent health outcomes, and intermediate health outcomes of their investments and policies in a language that all groups in society readily understand. Closely related to the health promotion concept of healthy public policy is the strategy of investment for health. Investment for health is a strategy for optimizing the health promoting impact of public policies.
Infrastructure for Health Promotion - Those human and material resources, organizational and administrative structures, policies, regulations and incentives which facilitate an organized health promotion response to public health issues and challenges. Although many countries have a dedicated health promotion workforce, the greater human resource is to be found among the wider health workforce, workforces in other sectors than health (for example in education, social welfare and so on), and from the actions of lay persons within individual communities. Infrastructure for health promotion can be found not only in tangible resources and structures, but also through the extent of public and political awareness of health issues, and participation in action to address those issues.
More potentially useful information can also be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/transportation/
Health - A state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Within the context of health promotion, health has been considered less as an abstract state and more as a means to an end which can be expressed in functional terms as a resource which permits people to lead an individually, socially and economically productive life. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the object of living. It is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities. Recognition of these pre-requisites highlights the inextricable links between social and economic conditions, the physical environment, individual lifestyles and health. A comprehensive understanding of health implies that all systems and structures which govern social and economic conditions and the physical environment should take account of the implications of their activities in relation to their impact on individual and collective health and well-being.
Health Sector - The health sector consists of organized public and private health services (including health promotion, disease prevention, diagnostic, treatment and care services), the policies and activities of health departments and ministries, health related nongovernment organizations and community groups, and professional associations.
Public Health - The science and art of promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society. Public health is a social and political concept aimed at the improving health, prolonging life and improving the quality of life among whole populations through health promotion, disease prevention and other forms of health intervention. Public health is distinguished by its basis in a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which lifestyles and living conditions determine health status, and a recognition of the need to mobilize resources and make sound investments in policies, programs and services which create, maintain and protect health by supporting healthy lifestyles and creating supportive environments for health.
Health Promotion - Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. Health promotion represents a comprehensive social and political process, it not only embraces actions directed at strengthening the skills and capabilities of individuals, but also action directed towards changing social, environmental and economic conditions so as to alleviate their impact on public and individual health. Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. Participation is essential to sustain health promotion action.
Intersectoral Collaboration - A recognized relationship between part or parts of different sectors of society which has been formed to take action on an issue to achieve health outcomes or intermediate health outcomes in a way which is more effective, efficient or sustainable than might be achieved by the health sector acting alone. A major goal in intersectoral action is to achieve greater awareness of the health consequences of policy decisions and organizational practice in different sectors, and through this, movement in the direction of healthy public policy and practice.
Determinants of Health - The range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors which determine the health status of individuals or populations. The factors which influence health are multiple and interactive. Health promotion is fundamentally concerned with action and advocacy to address the full range of potentially modifiable determinants of health – not only those which are related to the actions of individuals, such as health behaviors and lifestyles, but also factors such as income and social status, education, employment and working conditions, access to appropriate health services, and the physical environments.
Healthy Public Policy - Healthy public policy is characterized by an explicit concern for health and equity in all areas of policy, and by an accountability for health impact. The main aim of healthy public policy is to create a supportive environment to enable people to lead healthy lives. Such a policy makes healthy choices possible or easier for citizens. It makes social and physical environments health enhancing. The Ottawa Charter highlighted the fact that health promotion action goes beyond the health care sector, emphasizing that health should be on the policy agenda in all sectors, and at all levels of government. A commitment to healthy public policies means that governments must measure and report on their investments for health, and the subsequent health outcomes, and intermediate health outcomes of their investments and policies in a language that all groups in society readily understand. Closely related to the health promotion concept of healthy public policy is the strategy of investment for health. Investment for health is a strategy for optimizing the health promoting impact of public policies.
Infrastructure for Health Promotion - Those human and material resources, organizational and administrative structures, policies, regulations and incentives which facilitate an organized health promotion response to public health issues and challenges. Although many countries have a dedicated health promotion workforce, the greater human resource is to be found among the wider health workforce, workforces in other sectors than health (for example in education, social welfare and so on), and from the actions of lay persons within individual communities. Infrastructure for health promotion can be found not only in tangible resources and structures, but also through the extent of public and political awareness of health issues, and participation in action to address those issues.
More potentially useful information can also be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/transportation/
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