Terminology

When studying the history of public health, it’s useful to know the following terms:

• change - when something is different from what it was before
• continuity - when something is the same as what it was before
• progress - when there is positive change or improvement and things get better
• regression - when there is negative change and things get worse
• rate of change - the speed at which change takes place (eg slow, fast, rapid or stagnant)
• turning point - a point at which significant change happens
• factor - an element that drives change, enables change to happen or supports continuity - for example, the Church, government, individuals, science and technology, and attitudes in society are all factors that have affected the history of public health
• prevention - the action of trying to stop something from happening