As an approach, population health focuses on the interrelated conditions and factors that influence the health of populations over the life course, identifies systematic variations in their patterns of occurrence, and applies the resulting knowledge to develop and implement policies and actions to improve the health and well-being of those populations. In many ways the population health approach lends a different way of understanding health than the traditional health model had previously allowed.

First, the population health approach has broadened the definition of ‘health’ to include the entire range of factors that determine health. For example, the social, political and economic conditions of peoples’ lives had not been used to define health under the traditional model. Contrary to the traditional view, the population health approach considers these factors, as well as a wide variety of other conditions, to have an impact on health. This definition of health far exceeds the traditional biological-determinist definition of health, to look at the inter-related conditions that affect the health of our communities.

Second, by broadening the scope of what it means to be healthy, the population health approach aims to improve the health of the entire population. This differs from the traditional model’s narrow focus on individuals that were already sick or those that were at the greatest risk of developing a health problem. The population health approach on the other hand, is much more ambitious in its intention to improve the overall health status of the population.

To improve the overall health of the population, the population health approach calls for a multi-disciplinary approach, emphasizing health promotion, determinants of health, principles of equity, multidisciplinary research, health information systems, outcomes and education.

Much is to be gained by applying the population health approach. Once we accept that our health is determined by a wide variety of factors; factors that often fall outside of our traditional way of thinking of health, then, and only then can we step outside the box and begin to understand the true health and well-being of our communities. 

In developing Health Status 2000, we have applied the population health approach to describe the health and well-being of our community - Leeds, Grenville and Lanark County.

For reference and further information here is the Health Canada Population Health Approach web site.