It follows that the way public health problems
are defined and measured has a powerful influence
on policy makers’ perceptions of the challenges
they face and the viable solutions. For example,
investigating and emphasizing personal risk factors
for disease as opposed to the social determinants of
ill health will direct policy development towards
personal responsibility over community and government
action. This may be particularly problematic
when considering how best to respond to contentious
policy issue challenges such as inequalities in
health.