Chapter 1. The structure of a public health problem.

In their examination of the structure of a public health problem, the authors emphasize the dual nature of health and disease-viz., the (biological) epidemiological dimension on the one hand and the psychological and social dimension on the other-and introduce the concepts relevant to disease models in both dimensions. The study of tuberculosis as a public health problem provides an opportunity to establish indices whereby these health concepts may be applied in model construction. Estimation, from various sources, of the level of these epidemiological and sociological indices provides values suitable for the purpose of testing a public health decision model. The validity, representativeness, and relevance of the estimates are discussed in the light of the objectives of the study.