In this podcast, hosted by Dr. Salma Abdalla—Assistant Professor and Director of the Healthier Futures Lab at Washington University in St. Louis—we provide rigorous, evidence-based analysis of complex population health challenges. In a time of social, economic, and political upheaval—marked by eroding public trust, polarized narratives, and growing uncertainty—this podcast aims to challenge oversimplified narratives about the forces that shape the health of populations.
Salma engages guests from across disciplines in rigorous, evidence-based conversations that challenge conventional wisdom. The conversations sometimes pose uncomfortable questions, seek nuanced perspectives, and question not just what we think, but how we arrive at our conclusions in public health.
We explore the inherent complexities, real-world tradeoffs, and unintended consequences of public health interventions. Our goal is to empower listeners with nuanced understanding, helping them navigate these multifaceted issues in an informed and balanced way.
The podcast is supported by the Washington University School of Public Health—https://schoolofpublichealth.washu.edu—and the Frick Initiative.
Host: Dr. Salma Abdalla
Editors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary Linhares
Music: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/
Contact us at: s.abdalla@wustl.edu
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In this podcast, hosted by Dr. Salma Abdalla—Assistant Professor and Director of the Healthier Futures Lab at Washington University in St. Louis—we provide rigorous, evidence-based analysis of complex population health challenges. In a time of social, economic, and political upheaval—marked by eroding public trust, polarized narratives, and growing uncertainty—this podcast aims to challenge oversimplified narratives about the forces that shape the health of populations.
Salma engages guests from across disciplines in rigorous, evidence-based conversations that challenge conventional wisdom. The conversations sometimes pose uncomfortable questions, seek nuanced perspectives, and question not just what we think, but how we arrive at our conclusions in public health.
We explore the inherent complexities, real-world tradeoffs, and unintended consequences of public health interventions. Our goal is to empower listeners with nuanced understanding, helping them navigate these multifaceted issues in an informed and balanced way.
The podcast is supported by the Washington University School of Public Health—https://schoolofpublichealth.washu.edu—and the Frick Initiative.
Host: Dr. Salma Abdalla
Editors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary Linhares
Music: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/
Contact us at: s.abdalla@wustl.edu
Manufacturing Doubt: the commercial determinants of health with Dr Nason Maani
Complicating The Narrative
1 hour 8 minutes 52 seconds
3 months ago
Manufacturing Doubt: the commercial determinants of health with Dr Nason Maani
How do powerful industries shape what we believe about health risks—and what we don't? Dr. Nason Maani, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Inequalities and Global Health Policy at the University of Edinburgh, has spent years uncovering how commercial interests influence public health understanding.
Salma and Nason tackle the commercial determinants of health framework, moving beyond the typical focus on individual choices to examine the systems that shape those choices. They dig into Nason's "Manufacturing Doubt" paper, which investigated how industries weaponize uncertainty against public health evidence—using “alternative causation” arguments. The conversation explores the methodological challenges of researching corporate actors and the need to translate evidence about commercial influence into effective policy action.
This episode challenges listeners to consider whether our focus on individual behavior change might be missing the bigger picture of who benefits from keeping populations unhealthy. How have you seen commercial interests shape health discussions in your field?
Useful resources
Maani N, Van Schalkwyk MCI, Filippidis FT, Knai C, Petticrew M. Manufacturing doubt: Assessing the effects of independent vs industry-sponsored messaging about the harms of fossil fuels, smoking, alcohol, and sugar sweetened beverages. SSM - Population Health. 2022;17:101009. doi:1016/j.ssmph.2021.101009
Maani N, Petticrew M, Galea S, eds. The Commercial Determinants of Health. Oxford University Press; 2022. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-commercial-determinants-of-health-9780197578759?cc=us&lang=en&
Money, Power, Health with Nason Maani (podcast):
https://anchor.fm/s/b50fce1c/podcast/rss
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/money-power-health-with-nason-maani/id1667592518
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Aa2qRUtfM0eVUYNxF6Bvf
Host: Dr. Salma AbdallaEditors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary LinharesMusic: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/
Complicating The Narrative
In this podcast, hosted by Dr. Salma Abdalla—Assistant Professor and Director of the Healthier Futures Lab at Washington University in St. Louis—we provide rigorous, evidence-based analysis of complex population health challenges. In a time of social, economic, and political upheaval—marked by eroding public trust, polarized narratives, and growing uncertainty—this podcast aims to challenge oversimplified narratives about the forces that shape the health of populations.
Salma engages guests from across disciplines in rigorous, evidence-based conversations that challenge conventional wisdom. The conversations sometimes pose uncomfortable questions, seek nuanced perspectives, and question not just what we think, but how we arrive at our conclusions in public health.
We explore the inherent complexities, real-world tradeoffs, and unintended consequences of public health interventions. Our goal is to empower listeners with nuanced understanding, helping them navigate these multifaceted issues in an informed and balanced way.
The podcast is supported by the Washington University School of Public Health—https://schoolofpublichealth.washu.edu—and the Frick Initiative.
Host: Dr. Salma Abdalla
Editors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary Linhares
Music: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/
Contact us at: s.abdalla@wustl.edu
