What is Public Health?

Often I’m asked what exactly public health is, and I’ve come up with a few short answers that I use to give a quick but not very thorough explanation. I study and talk about public health all day long so the term “public health” makes total (well, not yet quite total) sense to me, but I am aware that not everyone grasps that idea or has even heard or contemplated the term.

The Association of Schools Public Health (ASPH) has a Web site called “What is Public Health?” that explains what public health work is, the impact it has, and careers in the field. Additionally, ASPH is sponsoring a sticker campaign called “This is Public Health” through which public health students can be seen placing “This is Public Health” stickers on objects, buildings, vehicles, people, etc. that represent public health in action. There are number of videos and even an entire Flickr group where people can post photos of themselves and their friends marking things with the stickers. The ASPH site and the sticker campaign site both give a nice overview of public health, so if you find yourself with a friend or a colleague wanting to know more, check them out!