An appropriate environmental understanding includes
identifying priorities among health-related issues,
clarifying the etiologies of priority health-related
issues, and identifying strategies to address the selected
issues. Such an analysis should take account of the full
range of environmental conditions that, on one hand,
have an etiological influence on the health issue and, on
the other hand, will facilitate or hinder effectiveness in
addressing selected issues. This range of environmental
conditions includes local and broad-based social, political,
and economic systems and structures, as well as psychological and physical conditions. Using the healthrelated
issue of nutrition as an illustration, an analysis
would extend beyond the level of individual nutritional
knowledge to include the influence of factors such as
income level, geographical location, cultural background,
and the wide range of governmental and corporate
decision-making processes and policies related to
food production, distribution, and cost