The health impacts of globalisation: a conceptual framework

Maud MTE Huynen¹ , Pim Martens¹^,2^,3 and Henk BM Hilderink⁴

¹International Centre for Integrative Studies (ICIS), Maastricht University, Maasticht, The Netherlands

²Faculty of Natural Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands

³Zuyd University, Heerlen, The Netherlands

⁴Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP), Bilthoven, the Netherlands

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Globalization and Health 2005, 1:14doi:10.1186/1744-8603-1-14


Published:	3 August 2005

Abstract

This paper describes a conceptual framework for the health implications of globalisation. The framework is developed by first identifying the main determinants of population health and the main features of the globalisation process. The resulting conceptual model explicitly visualises that globalisation affects the institutional, economic, social-cultural and ecological determinants of population health, and that the globalisation process mainly operates at the contextual level, while influencing health through its more distal and proximal determinants. The developed framework provides valuable insights in how to organise the complexity involved in studying the health effects resulting from globalisation. It could, therefore, give a meaningful contribution to further empirical research by serving as a 'think-model' and provides a basis for the development of future scenarios on health.