Module 2: Values and Beliefs Inherent to a Public Health Perspective

| Introduction | Presentation | Readings | Exercises | References | Evaluation |

Exercises

1. What are your personal values and beliefs? Write some of them in sentence form and consider how they help you when you are making difficult decisions.

2. The second ethical principle in the Code states: "Public health should achieve community health in a way that respects the rights of individuals in the community." This principle acknowledges the tension between the good of the community and individual rights. It is also worded to suggest that the starting place in public health is the good of the community. This tension is one of the most frequent causes of ethical dilemmas in public health, but this ethical principle does not resolve it. At times, it will help to refer to the public health values and beliefs for extra help in making a decision within such a tension.

   Consider the example of motorcycle helmet laws. Some states require helmets, while others don't. Some people who ride motorcycles want to feel the wind in their hair and don't want the government breathing down their neck, telling them to wear a helmet. Yet when a motorcyclist is injured, the medical costs are borne broadly by people who pay health insurance premiums. More serious injuries translate into higher health insurance costs borne by society. If you had a part in helping your state decide whether to require motorcycle helmets, to what values and beliefs of public health might you appeal to help you in this decision?