Debra Haire-Joshu & Timothy D. McBride 
Transdisciplinary Public Health 
Research, Education, and Practice

‘This book makes a great leap in the conceptualization of
transdisciplinary approaches, as well as provides concrete examples
in practice, teaching, policy, and research.’

–From the Foreword by Edward F. Lawlor, dean and the
William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor, the Brown School; and
founding director, Institute for Public Health at Washington
University in St. Louis

The complexity of public health and social problems is becoming
more challenging. Understanding and designing solutions for these
problems requires perspectives from multiple disciplines and fields
as well as cross-disciplinary research and practice teams.
Transdisciplinary Public Health fills a void in the
literature and offers a comprehensive text that introduces
transdisciplinary methods as a means for providing an innovative
tool set for problem-solving in public health research and
practice.

With contributions from leading experts, Transdisciplinary
Public Health offers an understanding of interactions among the
biological, behavioral, social, and public health sciences; shared
disciplinary frameworks in analyzing health problems; and the
integration and evaluation of transdisciplinary solutions to
alleviate complex public health issues. Use of this important
resource will promote transdisciplinary research and practice,
resulting in novel solutions that positively impact human
health.

Table of Content

Figures and Tables ix

Foreword xi

Edward F Lawlor

Preface xiii

Debra Haire-Joshu and Timothy D Mc Bride

The Editors xix

The Contributors xxi

Part 1 Defining Transdisciplinary Research and Education
1

1 Transdisciplinary Public Health: Definitions, Core
Characteristics, and Strategies for Success 3

Daniel Stokols, Kara L Hall, Amanda L Vogel

2 Transdisciplinary Training and Education 31

Sarah Gehlert, Teri Browne

3 Competencies in Transdisciplinary Public Health Education
53

Lauren D Arnold, J Aaron Hipp, Anne Sebert Kuhlmann, Elizabeth
Budd

4 Measuring Success: An Evaluation Framework for
Transdisciplinary Public Health 79

Douglas A Luke, Sarah Moreland-Russell, Stephanie
Herbers

Part 2 Cross-Cutting Themes in Transdisciplinary Research
99

5 Transdisciplinary Approaches: Sorting Out the Socioeconomic
Determinants of Poverty and Health 101

Timothy D Mc Bride, Lisa M Pollack, Abigail R Barker, Leah M
Kemper

6 Transdisciplinary Public Policy: The Roles of Law and Public
Health in Creating Public Policy 125

Sidney D Watson

7 Sociocultural Perspectives Applied to Transdisciplinary Public
Health 141

Bradley P Stoner

8 Evidence-Based Decision Making: Transdisciplinary Problem
Solving to Improve the Health of the Public 155

Ross C Brownson

Part 3 Transdisciplinary Practice: Case Studies in Domestic
Health 187

9 Transdisciplinary Methods in the Prevention and Control of
Maternal-Child Obesity 189

Debra Haire-Joshu

10 Transdisciplinary Approaches to Violence and Injury
Prevention and Treatment among Children and Youth 217

Melissa Jonson-Reid, Nancy Weaver, Brett Drake, John
Constantino

11 Transdisciplinary Problem Solving for Integrating Public
Health and Social Service Systems to Address

Health Disparities 249

Matthew W Kreuter, Debbie Pfeiffer

Part 4 Transdisciplinary Practice: Case Studies in Global
Health 265

12 Transdisciplinary Problem Solving for Global Hunger and
Undernutrition 267

Lora Iannotti

13 Implementing Public Health Interventions in Developing
Countries: A Transdisciplinary Solution for Safe Drinking Water in
Rural India 297

Ramesh Raghavan, Ravikumar Chockalingam, Zeena Johar

14 Indoor Air Pollution and Respiratory Health: A
Transdisciplinary Vision 319

Gautam Yadama, Kenneth B Schechtman, Pratim Biswas, Mario
Castro, Nishesh Chalise

Name Index 341

Subject Index 363

About the author

Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph D, is the Joyce Wood Professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Timothy D. Mc Bride, Ph D, is a professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.