Wells, JCK;
Sear, R;
Stearns, SC;
Nesse, R;
Johnstone, RA;
(2017)
Evolutionary public health: introducing the concept.
The Lancet
, 390
(10093)
pp. 500-509.
10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30572-X.
Preview |
Text
Wells_THELANCET-D-15-03340R2_extracted.pdf - Accepted Version Download (927kB) | Preview |
Abstract
The emerging discipline of evolutionary medicine is breaking new ground in understanding why people get sick. However, the value of evolutionary analyses of human physiology and behaviour is only beginning to be recognized in the field of public health. Core principles come from life history theory, which analyses the allocation of finite amounts of energy among four competing functions - maintenance, growth, reproduction and defence. A central tenet of evolutionary theory is that organisms are selected to allocate energy and time to maximize reproductive success, rather than health or longevity. Ecological interactions that influence mortality risk, nutrient availability and pathogen burden shape energyallocation strategies throughout the life-course, thereby impacting diverse health outcomes. Public health interventions could improve their efficacy by incorporating an evolutionary perspective. In particular, evolutionary approaches offer new opportunities to address the complex challenges of global health, where populations are differentially exposed to the metabolic consequences of poverty, high fertility, infectious diseases, and rapid changes in nutrition and lifestyle. The impact of specific interventions may depend on broader factors shaping life expectancy. Amongst the important tools in this approach are mathematical models, which can explore likely benefits and limitations of interventions in silico, prior to their implementation in human populations.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Evolutionary public health: introducing the concept |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30572-X |
| Publisher version: | http://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30572-X |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2016. This manuscript version is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Non-derivative 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This licence allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work for personal and non-commercial use providing author and publisher attribution is clearly stated. Further details about CC BY licences are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. Access may be initially restricted by the publisher. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1532813 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
