For many public health outcomes, particularly decreases in chronic diseases, MI-773 research buy the full benefits of community level efforts to reduce chronic disease risk factors, such as obesity and tobacco use, may not be evident for many years, further challenging program evaluation. The outcomes often are influenced by many factors that might be addressed differently

in different communities. The evidence base also may be influenced by circumstances associated with the creation of some community health programs — circumstances that have the potential for constraining the optimal application of scientific methods. However, even in the face of such constraints, the evidence from these practical studies might in reality be more relevant in addressing problems in the communities being served. We have suggested that there is a need for a broader construct for “community health” that affirms this area as a distinct field within public health practice, and that fostering understanding Pexidartinib research buy of a contemporary definition

of this maturing field will assist in advancing its goals. To that end, based on the focus areas outlined in this commentary, we offer the following as an example of a definition of community health that accords with needs of U.S. public health practice: “Community health is a multi-sector and multi-disciplinary collaborative enterprise that uses public health science, evidence-based strategies,

and other approaches to engage and SB-3CT work with communities, in a culturally appropriate manner, to optimize the health and quality of life of all persons who live, work, or are otherwise active in a defined community or communities. The core principles of community health are built on an understanding of core functions of community health programs and science. In many ways these resemble core public health functions; however, at their core they are explicitly focused on the intersection of the community’s needs, the community’s understanding of and priorities for health, and the best methods for documenting the evidence garnered from practice in the community, as well as the evidence from the science of community health. We also have suggested that this field relies upon its own “methods of community health” that reflect a blend of approaches from multiple disciplines that have been tailored to this field, but that these approaches are subject to many challenges, some of which are unique to this emerging field.