Negotiating public health and agricultural burning: a theoretical perspective on community conflict in northern Idaho

Public health continues to evolve from its medical and epidemiological roots to include more comprehensive perspectives. Lifestyle, social networks and wellbeing should be considered important components of public health, in addition to more conventional factors such as environmental and medical conditions. We propose a theoretical model of public health to address a case of community conflict surrounding agricultural burning practices in northern Idaho. This case reflects the complexity of influences on public health beyond conventional perspectives of public health institutions. Our model accounts for a community’s external context such as its political, legal, social and environmental influences. This model of public health also represents a community’s internal dynamics, including social cohesion, disease and epidemics, and economic vitality. Public health practice that includes external context and internal dynamics will lead to greater levels of participation and empowerment in public health conflicts.