Interdisciplinary research in public health: the ‘why’ and the ‘how’

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) Vol. 73; no. 12; pp. 1061 - 1062
• Main Authors: Kivits, Joelle, Ricci, Laetitia, Minary, Laetitia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ 01.12.2019; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Cancer; Data collection; Editorial; Epidemiology; Health disparities; Humanities; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Interdisciplinary aspects; Interdisciplinary Research; Intervention; Life Sciences; Medical research; Population; Public Health; Researchers; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Sociology; Tobacco; France; research methods; social science; public health
• ISSN: 0143-005X; 1470-2738; 1470-2738
• DOI: 10.1136/jech-2019-212511

Tobacco control interventions need to be based on a dialogue between academic disciplines that can contribute knowledge and offer sound solutions to the problem.3 More generally, any topic related to population health—nutrition, environmental issues, addictions and so on—necessitates considering individuals within their lived contexts: current literature is crying out for complex systems approaches.4 5 Second, today’s health challenges call for global and synergistic approaches.6 As an example, tackling the worldwide major problem of health inequalities requires embracing the phenomenon in a holistic way. The epidemiological data were available before the sociological and psychological data, delaying the required interpretative work in interdisciplinarity. [...]research time is also subject to continuous adjustments that are made regarding theoretical frameworks. [...]interdisciplinary projects must organise interdisciplinary exchange spaces and consider them as integral parts of the research process, favouring both disciplinary and interdisciplinary work.