This paper reviews the latest trends in social epidemiology. It analyzes the emergence of epidemiology as a scientific discipline in the nineteenth century focusing on the main characteristics of the episteme of the period. This paper also analyzes the decline of the social approach in the beginning of the twentieth century and the resurgence of social interest in the sixties. The multiple approaches of social epidemiology currently adopted are commented. The study also emphasizes Susser's proposal of ecoepidemiology, describing its characteristics and pointing out limitations. Next, there is a discussion of the social capital theory and its potentialities for epidemiological studies. The life course perspective is also analyzed, mentioning its psychological and material versions. Latin America's social production of the health and disease process is presented along with an overview of Nancy Krieger's social ecoepidemiology. Finally, some dilemmas and challenges for the future are presented.
Social epidemiology; Theoretical approaches; Theoretical epidemiology