International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Real-World Application of Unhealthy Commodity Industries’ Corporate Political Activity Research; Comment on “Corporate Political Activity: Taxonomies and Model of Corporate Influence on Public Policy”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Francisca Pulido Valente 1
Hilson Cunha Filho 2
1 Public Health Unit of Amadora, Amadora-Sintra Local Health Unit, Lisbon, Portugal
2 Medicine Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
10.34172/ijhpm.9077
Abstract
Taxonomies are essential tools for structuring evidence in public health, particularly in rapidly evolving fields like the Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH). Ulucanlar et al addressed an important gap by proposing taxonomies to systematically document and classify corporate political activity (CPA) across unhealthy commodity industries. In this commentary we reflect on the broader relevance of these frameworks for CDoH research and discuss their real-world applicability through a case study of the Portuguese alcohol industry. Drawing from our empirical findings, we highlight both the practical strengths and challenges we encountered, and propose an additional use: employing CPA taxonomies as communication tools to translate complex corporate strategies into accessible narratives for broader public health audiences. Finally, we identify opportunities for refinement, including developing complementary quantitative metrics and the integration of CPA surveillance into routine public health systems. 
Keywords
Commercial Determinants of Health
Taxonomies
Public Health Policy
Alcohol industry
Portugal
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 14, Issue 1
2025
Pages 1-4

  • Received Date 10 March 2025
  • Revised Date 08 May 2025
  • Accepted Date 11 May 2025
  • First Published Date 14 May 2025
  • Published Date 01 December 2025