Institute For The Future

HH Signals Series: Ecological Health Literacy

I am pleased to present the latest edition in the Health Horizons Signals Series: Ecological Health Literacy (SR-978C).

 

An important shift is underway in how the public perceives health and wellness. This shift signals a move away from the disease-centered biomedical model toward a more holistic, ecological language of health. As perceived health benefits and risks become the criteria for an ever-expanding range of personal decision making, the public is coming to recognize what social epidemiologists have argued for some time—that health is the product of more than simple cause-and-effect disease relationships, and results from complex interactions between a whole spectrum of environmental factors. This evolving ecological perspective is supported by scientific evidence that is beginning to demonstrate that where and how we live our lives can have as great an impact on health as genetics, behavior, or exposure to specific risks. A language of ecological health literacy is emerging to frame health concerns within a broader landscape, from the food we eat, to how we work, our social interactions, and where we live.