Several interpretations of public health practice exist.  For the audience in schools of public health, ASPH has defined public health practice as "the strategic, organized, and interdisciplinary application of knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to perform essential public health services and other activities to improve the population?s health."*  From the perspective of schools of public health, public health practice is a scholarly endeavor seen as academic public health practice.  An important group that focuses on the strengthening and promotion of scholarship in practice is the Council of Public Health Practice Coordinators.  

 The teaching, research, and service activites regarding  academic public health practice are critical to the strength of the public health infrastructure and the ability to provide successful health promotion and disease prevention services and policies.  Public health practice courses have a crucial, interdisciplinary approach that melds economic‚ socio-cultural‚ health services research‚ and organizational management theories with the real world practice of public health professionals. For more information and resources for academic public health practice, visit the Schools and Public Health Practice webpage. To learn more about academic public health practice, read the Demonstrating Excellence series on the practice publications webpage.

See other ASPH activities to strengthen practice on the ASPH main menu "Strengthening Public Health Practice, Pathways, and Awareness."

*From: Demonstrating Excellence in Academic Public Health Practice. Association of Schools of Public Health. June 1999. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Rockville, MD.