Legal Epidemiology

A comprehensive account of how law influences health-relevant behaviors and environments—and how those influences can be measured

The biggest problems in our society call for collective action, often through law and government, on behalf of the community. As we take those necessary actions in support of health and well-being and preventing disease and death, we must equally commit to using the scientific method??in examining health-related outcomes of legal action. In Legal Epidemiology: Theory and Methods, now in its second edition, researchers across disciplines explain the scientific theories and??methods for investigating the development, implementation, and effects of public health law.

There are special challenges that arise when investigating the implementation and outcomes of public health law. This book’s contributors—leaders in their respective fields—take a multidisciplinary approach to describing those challenges and their solutions. Readers will:

• Understand the basic concepts of legal epidemiology, including a guiding research framework
• Learn diverse theories on how laws and rules influence people’s health behaviors and outcomes
• Explore measurement issues that arise when law is a variable in research studies
• Optimize research designs for studies and evaluations in the field of legal epidemiology

Experienced researchers, policy analysts, and novice scientists will appreciate this book’s practical descriptions of the process for conducting strong legal epidemiology studies. These tools will advance public health law research, and will serve to orient non-scientists to the study of legal epidemiology.

“As someone previously unaware that there was a field of legal epidemiology, I was intrigued. As??I examined the book’s chapters, I became increasingly aware of the value and potential future??contributions of the field. For public health professionals of all stripes, this book will, at a minimum, enrich the life of the mind. For some, it will directly broaden and deepen their own??work.”
—Kenneth E. Warner, PhD, Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus, University of Michigan School of Public Health

“The second edition of Legal Epidemiology: Theory and Methods fills a critical niche for public health education and research. Laws shape our health and daily lives in profound ways—by blending law, epidemiology, and other scholarly disciplines and methods, the editors have assembled an insightful group of chapters. This volume is a must-read for anyone interested addressing population health and inequities in health.”
—Ross C. Brownson, PhD, Lipstein Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis

“This book covers it all. Essential background for health policy analysts”
—Kosali Simon, PhD, Distinguished Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University