1st Edition
The Routledge Handbook of Public Health and the Community
Community health is an emerging and growing discipline of public health and it focuses on the physical, social, and mental well-being of the people of specific districts. This interdisciplinary field brings together aspects of health care, economics, environment, and people interaction. This handbook is a comprehensive reference on public health for higher education students, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers of health care.
There are five key thematic sections in the book: perspectives in public health; community health in practise; planning, built, and social environment and community health; digital and mobile health; and, towards sustainable health in the community. Each theme explores the leading research and trends. This book aims to help achieve the shared goal of healthier communities and quality of life for the residents.
This collaborative work should be a very useful handbook to health professionals and government bodies in the planning of initiatives to improve population health, prevent chronic diseases, control infectious diseases and outbreaks, and prepare for natural disasters. This handbook integrates research and practise of public health in the community.
SECTION I Perspectives in public health 1 Introduction and foundations of health and wellness Ben Y.F. Fong and Martin C.S. Wong 2 Community and environment as determinants of health: The One Health concept Thomas Man-chi Dao and Bean Sau-nga Fu 3 Health and urban living Peter T.K. Lau 4 Local groups in shaping the advocacy of population health Chesney P.Y. Wong, Fiona C.M. Yuen, and Percy W.T. Ho 5 Community health in the global and Asia-Pacific context Hilary Hiu Lam Yee and Mark S.H. Chan 6 Health for all: Community health in developing countries Sukhpreet Kaur and Shaomin Feng 7 Potentials and benefits of health impact assessment in communities Weiguo Zhang, Baipei Chen. and Ben Y.F. Fong SECTION II Community health in practise 8 Lifestyle-related health promotion Daphne Wu 9 Disease prevention and screening in public health Martin C.S. Wong, Junjie Huang, Kevin Law, Hanyue Ding, and Yun-yang Deng 10 Genetic testing for personalised medicine and limitations of the current medical practise in public health Ki Lui and Martin C.S. Wong 11 All health begins at home in the community Emily T.Y. Tse and Ben Y.F. Fong 12 Key to mental health in the community Billy C.F. Chiu and Yumi Y.T. Chan 13 Evidence-based community health programmes: Reflections on practise Ting Yu Lam and Ben Y.F. Fong 14 Musculoskeletal health in the community: Falls prevention and osteoporotic fractures Percy W.T. Ho and C.C. Ma 15 COVID-19, social anxiety, and economic-political crisis in Hong Kong: A public opinion survey’s perspective Victor Zheng and Anthony Y.H. Fung SECTION III Planning, built, and social environment and community health 16 Urban planning and population health: The impact of neighbourhood walkability on active transportation Sui Yu Yau and Justen O’Connor 17 Town planning and community development: Healthy and happy housing Carina Y.H. Lam, Joanna W.Y. Lee, and Tat Choi Chan 18 Shaping built environments for community health: A qualitative exploration of active transport by walking Sui Yu Yau and Justen O’Connor 19 Life-course perspectives and family relationships in community health Yim Fan Chan and Candy Yuen Yee Tsoi 20 Healthy and green buildings in the community: Review of evaluation criteria and its relevance to public health Edmond W.M. Lam and Jacob W.K. Lam 21 Healthy schools and safe cities movement Amenda N.W. Tang and Percy W.T. Ho SECTION IV Digital and mobile health 22 Online promotion of public health Cynthia S.Y. Lau and Ben Y.F. Fong 23 Cloud infrastructure for public health blockchain John K.W. Yeung, Simon C.W. Wong, and Gabriel H.H. Chan 24 Digital health for chronic disease management Kelvin K.F. Tsoi and Martin C.S. Wong 25 Promotion of telehealth in community care Tommy Ng and Wilson Fung 26 Community care: To ‘tele’, or not to ‘tele’? Considerations from the medico-legal and operational perspectives Kar-wai Tong 27 Smart health communities: From sick care to health care Fowie Ng, David Briggs, and Yaping Liu SECTION V Towards sustainable health in the community 28 Sustainable health and social care system in the community Samuel C. Fong and Aihua Yan 29 Green diet and public health Wang-Kin Chiu and Ben Y.F. Fong 30 Strategies in community health education and wellness programmes Leon Wai Li, C.C. Ma, and Percy W.T. Ho 31 Emerging roles of community health practitioners Ray Y.L. Choy 32 Public policies in building a healthy community Vincent Law 33 Framework for effective community health interventions Hilary Hiu Lam Yee, Wing Yi Chan, and Cuimei Luo
Biography
Ben Y.F. Fong is a Specialist in Community Medicine, holding honorary Clinical Associate Professorship at the two local medical schools in Hong Kong, China. He is currently the Professor of Practise (Health Studies) and Associate Division Head of the Division of Science, Engineering, and Health Studies of the College of Professional and Continuing Education, and Director of the Centre for Ageing and Healthcare Management Research of the School of Professional Education and Executive Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has contributed to publications, including Primary Care Revisited: Interdisciplinary Perspectives for a New Era (as lead editor, published in 2020), a training manual for general practitioners in China published by the People’s Medical Publishing House in Beijing (as co-editor, published in 2020), over 30 health books in Chinese, and 40 journal papers.
Martin C.S. Wong is a Professor of the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Professor by courtesy of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include cancer screening and prevention of chronic diseases. He is the co-chairman of the Association of the Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), NCD stream; co-chairman of the Grant Review Board, Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), and a member of the Research Council, Food and Health Bureau; convener of the Advisory Group on Hong Kong Reference Framework in Primary Care Settings of the Primary Healthcare Office; a member of the Expert Advisory Panel in Implementation Science of the Hong Kong SAR Government; and the Editor-in-Chief of the Hong Kong Medical Journal (HKMJ). He was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, and Adjunct Professor of Global Health by Peking University.
"I’m delighted to recommend this essential work. The pandemic has made us all aware that health issues impact not just our personal lives, but also our communities and societies. Dr Ben Y.F. Fong and Professor Martin C.S. Wong have compiled a volume of essays by an impressive team of experts. The handbook covers a wide range of relevant topics, including one that’s particularly important to me, the promotion of healthy lifestyle and wellness for the public good. This book will surely become a classic for anyone interested in the field of public health."
Mr Bernard Chan, GBM, GBS, JP, Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
"It is my pleasure and honour to recommend this book to you all who are interested in healthcare issues. We witnessed the advancement of medical technologies in recent years, but their application to society, especially how they can be used to improve the health of the population, has not yet been fully examined. Asian countries will face an aging population that humankind has never experienced. How to improve overall health in a population with many vulnerable people is a current and urgent issue for public health. I am sure that this book provides a wealth of insights from a public health perspective on the challenges facing modern society."
Tomonori Hasegawa, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and chairperson, Division of Health Policy & Health Service Research, Department of Social Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine; Director of Hospital Accreditation, Japan Council for Quality Health Care
"My congratulations to Dr Ben Fong and Professor Martin Wong on the publication of The Routledge Handbook of Public Health and the Community. This publication is very timely. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many lessons about the importance of public health measures in protecting the health and well-being of the members of our global community. It is excellent to have these measures so clearly outlined in this handbook."
Professor Michael Kidd, Professor of Primary Care Research, The Australian National University; Past President, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA)
"The practice of Family Medicine is the best assurance of quality Primary Healthcare and essential for Universal Health Coverage. The practice of Community oriented primary healthcare is a social responsibility of Family Doctors. The Routledge Handbook of Public Health and the Community edited by Dr Ben Fong and Prof Martin Wong is an excellent publication which provides practical reference material, insights and stimulates thoughts for Family Doctors to become more engaged and work together with public health specialists. Together they can identify and prioritizing health issues and develop programs for health promotion, protection, and maintenance."
Dr Donald Li Kwok Tung, Specialist in Family Medicine, President of World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA)
"Ben is a regional treasure to global, public and human health in Hong Kong. The breadth and depth by which he integrates and communicates relevant health information for medical practitioners is highly effective. Bridging nuances while building on the lessons of the region, with an eye focused on the future brings forth compelling practices and protocols in The Routledge Handbook on Public Health and the Community. Well done. Congratulations".
Vivian Ho, former President & CEO, Queens International; former CEO, Global Brain Cancer Alliance; Founder, Academy International Health Philanthropy, Palo Alto, California
