TY - JOUR
T1 - Making the case for laws that improve health
T2 - A framework for public health law research
AU - Burris, Scott
AU - Wagenaar, Alexander C.
AU - Swanson, Jeffrey
AU - Ibrahim, Jennifer K.
AU - Wood, Jennifer
AU - Mello, Michelle M.
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - Context: Public health law has received considerable attention in recent years and has become an essential field in public health. Public health law research, however, has received less attention. Methods: Expert commentary. Findings: This article explores public health law research, defined as the scientific study of the relation of law and legal practices to population health. The article offers a logic model of public health law research and a typology of approaches to studying the effects of law on public health. Research on the content and prevalence of public health laws, processes of adopting and implementing laws, and the extent to which and mechanisms through which law affects health outcomes can use methods drawn from epidemiology, economics, sociology, and other disciplines. The maturation of public health law research as a field depends on methodological rigor, adequate research funding, access to appropriate data sources, and policymakers' use of research findings. Conclusions: Public health law research is a young field but holds great promise for supporting evidence-based policymaking that will improve population health.
AB - Context: Public health law has received considerable attention in recent years and has become an essential field in public health. Public health law research, however, has received less attention. Methods: Expert commentary. Findings: This article explores public health law research, defined as the scientific study of the relation of law and legal practices to population health. The article offers a logic model of public health law research and a typology of approaches to studying the effects of law on public health. Research on the content and prevalence of public health laws, processes of adopting and implementing laws, and the extent to which and mechanisms through which law affects health outcomes can use methods drawn from epidemiology, economics, sociology, and other disciplines. The maturation of public health law research as a field depends on methodological rigor, adequate research funding, access to appropriate data sources, and policymakers' use of research findings. Conclusions: Public health law research is a young field but holds great promise for supporting evidence-based policymaking that will improve population health.
KW - Law
KW - Legal
KW - Public health
KW - Research
KW - Scholarship
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953238509&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77953238509&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2010.00595.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2010.00595.x
M3 - Review article
C2 - 20579282
AN - SCOPUS:77953238509
SN - 0887-378X
VL - 88
SP - 169
EP - 210
JO - Milbank Quarterly
JF - Milbank Quarterly
IS - 2
ER -