Textbook of Preventive Social Medicine

This book is presented as a new book in its second edition. The entire approach is epidemiological and the subject matter is presented in a linked and continuous manner. The language and style are simple, and attractive with emphasis on practical aspects which may be of utility not only to PHC medical officers and health administrators but even to general practitioners. The whole book is divided into four parts. The first part deals with the general aspects of preventive and social medicine and its scope and basic concepts in community medicine. The second part, comprising two-third of the book, is built around the epidemiological triad. The third part deals with demography, vital statistics and biostatistics. The fourth part is devoted to health care of different groups, and includes detailed discussion of primary health care, health policy and the relation between health and development. The above division is objective and purposeful. It makes the reader familiar with the essential course content of community medicine, inculcates in him the epidemiological approach to health and disease, and prepares him to practise family medicine as a family physician. In order to fulfill this perceived need, the following topics have been written up in detail and are included herewith, to be distributed as an addendum to the third edition: (i) Epidemiological study design, (ii) Biomedical Waste Management, (iii) Anthrax and bio-terrorism, (iv) Nosocomial infections, (v) Oral diseases, (vi) Disaster management. Special attention has been paid to the chapters on social environment, host factors and health, non-communicable diseases, food and nutrition, demography and vital statistics, health policy, planning management and administration, primary health care, health education, information and communication, maternity and child health, school health, geriatrics, mental health and health service through general practitioners so as to present the concerned topic in a most up-to-date and easily comprehensible manner. This book is found useful for students, teachers, public health administrators and PHC medical officers.