An understanding of public health the systems, policies and theories that influence the health of the population is important for decision making across the continuum of care. Introduction to Public Health provides a solid introduction to the key concepts of public health for undergraduate health science students and those new to the public health environment.

The text is divided into four sections, covering an overview of public health, the impact of policy and evidence, public health strategies and contemporary issues.

With contributions from a multidisciplinary range of experts, this fifth edition has been updated to include emerging public health challenges such as COVID-19, the impact of globalisation, wellbeing and chronic illnesses, as well as a clear understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of public health.


New to this edition
New chapter about infectious diseases and COVID-19
Emerging public health issues including social and emotional wellbeing especially amongst young Australians, global health and contemporary challenges facing public health
Contemporary methods for planning and sustaining public health approaches

Key Features
Positions public health concepts within an Australian and global context
Fully updated to reflect current public health policy and environment
Concise and accessible; content is chunked? for easy navigation
Chapter case studies and examples to help illustrate key points
Reflection opportunities to deliver maximum learning
Written by experts from various public health specialties, providing a broad multidisciplinary perspective
Suitable for undergraduate health science courses and a range of postgraduate health science courses including Graduate Certificate, Diploma and Masters in Public Health, Health Service Management and Health Administration
Accompanied by a suite of video interviews with local experts to provide local public health context

Student resources on Evolve:


Student quiz

Instructor resources on Evolve:


Case studies + reflection questions
Video interviews
Image bank

Author Information
Edited by Mary Louise Fleming, PhD, MA, BEd, Dip Teach, Public Health Consultant and Board Director. Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health and Social Work at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland. and Louise Baldwin