International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Understanding Structure and Agency as Commercial Determinants of Health; Comment on “How Neoliberalism Is Shaping the Supply of Unhealthy Commodities and What This Means for NCD Prevention”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Kelley Lee 1
Eric Crosbie 2
1 Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
2 School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
10.15171/ijhpm.2019.127
Abstract
The limited success to date, by the public health community, to address the dramatic rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has prompted growing attention to the commercial determinants of health. This has led to a much needed shift in attention, from metabolic and behavioural risk factors, to the production and consumption of health-harming products by the commercial sector. Building on Lencucha and Thow’s analysis of neoliberalism, in shaping the underlying policy environment favouring commercial interests, we argue for fuller engagement with structure and agency interaction when conceptualising, assessing, and identifying public health measures to address the commercial determinants of health.
Keywords
Commercial Determinants of Health
Non-Communicable Diseases
Corporations
Risk Factors
Structure-Agency
Subjects
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 9, Issue 7
July 2020
Pages 315-318

  • Received Date 16 October 2019
  • Revised Date 25 November 2019
  • Accepted Date 26 November 2019
  • First Published Date 01 July 2020
  • Published Date 01 July 2020