Epidemiology in health promotion: a Canadian perspective

During the second half of this century, Canada has made major organizational advances in providing universal hospital and medical care programs. Although these advances have largely overshadowed public health issues, the focus is now shifting back to public health with an emphasis on health promotion as a guiding philosophy. Epidemiology has played a key role in these developments. However, as we seek to address matters such as "enhancing people's capacity to cope," "healthy public policy," and "self-care," we find ourselves with a limited data base. So it is now necessary for epidemiology to integrate concepts that have their origins in the social and behavioral sciences, and also to deal with new measures of functional and self-assessed health status. A scientific approach to all this is essential, especially in developing and evaluating health promotion initiatives. In addition, national health goals and objectives are needed to help allocate resources rationally and hold health promotion activities accountable for their own performance.