Public Health 3.0: Supporting Local Public Health in Addressing Behavioral Health

Weiss‐Laxer

Broadbent

et al. 2020

Families strongly influence the health of communities and individuals across the life course, but no validated measure of family health exists. The absence of such a measure has limited the examination of family health trends and the intersection of family health with individual and community health. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Family Health Scale (FHS), creating a multi-factor long-form and a uniform short-form. The primary sample included 1,050 adults recruited from a national quota sample Qualtrics panel. Mplus version 7 was used to analyze the data using a structural equation modeling framework. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a 32-item, 4-factor long-form scale. The four factors included (1) family social and emotional health processes; (2) family healthy lifestyle; (3) family health resources; and (4) family external social supports. A 10-item short-form of the FHS was also validated in the initial sample and a second sample of 401 adults. Both the long-form and short-form FHS correlated in the expected direction with validated measures of family functioning and healthy lifestyle. A preliminary assessment of clinical cutoffs in the short-form were correlated with depression risk. The FHS offers the potential to assess family health trends and to develop accessible, de-identified databases on the well-being of families. Important next steps include validating the scale among multiple family members and collecting longitudinal data.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Family Health Scale: Reliability and Validity of a Short- and Long-Form

Weiss‐Laxer

Broadbent

et al. 2020

“…Reports in recent years on the decline in life expectancy in the US (1), often attributed in part to the dramatic rise in opioid-related deaths (2,3), has led to increased discussion on the nation's health. In addition to opioid misuse, multiple conditions contribute to the US health disadvantage, including obesity, adolescent pregnancy, and sexually transmitted disease, injuries, infant mortality, and chronic diseases of later life (4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In response to the urgent need to reinvent population health promotion and maintenance, Public Health 3.0 ( 3 ) strongly urges that public health leaders act as chief strategists engaging with community stakeholders, education and medical system leaders, and other actors to shape the policies and resources in individuals' natural ecosystems. Given the central position of families in both individual and community health and cohesion ( 5 , 6 ), the family is the most important, yet underrecognized and underutilized, actor in the production of health ( 7 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Families as a Cornerstone in 21st Century Public Health: Recommendations for Research, Education, Policy, and Practice

Weiss‐Laxer

Hughes

et al. 2020

Families are vastly overlooked in US initiatives to promote population health and health equity despite being the most proximal context for health across the life course. We urge the public health sector to take the lead in recognizing families as essential for promoting 21st century population health. We highlight ways families influence health by providing context, care, continuity, and connections. The dual private and public aspect of families has contributed to how they have been overlooked in the public health sector. We provide recommendations for better integrating families into population health initiatives through national health goals, research, education, policy, and practice.

“…For the second year in a row, life expectancy in the United States has declined ( 1 ). While age-adjusted death rates have decreased for seven of the leading causes of death, rates have increased for unintentional injuries and suicide ( 1 ) Behavioral health challenges such as opioid abuse and suicide have been implicated for these increases ( 2 , 3 ). Addressing the causal factors for these conditions with macro-level interventions is a public health imperative and responsibility.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Family-Focused Public Health: Supporting Homes and Families in Policy and Practice

Hanson

Barnes

et al. 2019

Life expectancy in the US is on the decline. Mental health issues associated with opioid abuse and suicide have been implicated for this decline necessitating new approaches and procedures. While Public Health 3.0 provides a call to action for stakeholders to work closely together to address such complex problems as these, less attention has been given to engaging and supporting the most important stakeholders and primary producers of health within the US: families and households. The idea that health begins at home is discussed from the perspective of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention levels. Primary prevention where research provides evidence for the role of the family in healthy child development. Secondary and tertiary prevention where research offers evidence for the role of the family in caregiving. Despite this evidence, greater focus and attention must be placed on the family at all prevention levels as an often overlooked setting of public health practice and level of influence. Prevention across all levels is enhanced as public health practitioners think family when designing and implementing public health policy. Four family impact principles are presented to help guide planning and implementation decisions to nourish family engagement.