APPENDIX 1

Latin American Social Medicine
Example of Structured Abstract

Franco S, Nunes E, Breilh J, Laurell A. Debates en Medicina Social [Debates in Social Medicine]. Quito (Ecuador): Pan-American Health Organization / Latin American Association of Social Medicine, 1991 .

Objectives: To present the state of the art of social medicine by means of analyzing itsEuropean antecedents, its emergencein Latin America, itsintroduction in degree and post-degree studies, the revision of scientific achievements and of social practices byLatin American groups during three decades (1960, ’70, and ’80). To define the specificity of this field in relation topublic health and preventive medicine. To examine the development of Latin American critical epidemiology and investigation intowork and health.

Methodology: An analytical and historical methodology was used to study the antecedents, and thetheoretical, methodological and thematic production of the most outstanding Latin Americanauthors, and of journals published in Latin America previous tothis study.

      Statistical methods were used to carry out a quantitative analysis of social medicine’s production according to thematic areas and conceptual categories. Degree and post-degree programs, starting from the 1950’s, are described through content analysis in relationship tothe incorporation of social sciences.

Results and Conclusions: Through the analysis of more than 300 works, this exhaustive study of the most important achievements of social medicine allows the authors to show the social and political context where this field emerges; the antecedents in works of the European social medicine in the 19th century; and the differences between hygienism, public health and preventive medicine. The authors present very deep and broadanalyses of social medicine’s theoretical conception, andof the main categories, methods, topics, and most important authors and academic and researcher groups in this field. They have produced a work of greaterdepth on the emergence of critical epidemiology, thedifferences between critical and traditional epidemiology, and the Latin American production. In the last chapter the authorspresent the same type of analysis applied to the relationship betweenwork and health; a revision of the works of the principal authors concerned with theoretical and methodological questions; analytic and descriptive studies about the work-health relationship; and investigations about howthe impact of capitalism transforms the work and health.