3.2.4.3 Environment, Health and Well-Being

Question 1

Mortality

Answer 1

The number of deaths in a population.

Question 2

Morbidity

Answer 2

The incidence of ill health.

Question 3

Health

Answer 3

Physical, mental and socio-wellbeing and the absence of disease.

Question 4

How can health be measured?

Answer 4

Using health indicators such as HALE (healthy life expectancy) - the number of years a new born child can expect to live in full health without major disease.

Question 5

Global patterns of health

Answer 5

HALE is the highest in developed countries and the lowest in less developed countries.

Question 6

What are morbidity indicators?

Answer 6

Morbidity indicators include:

• Prevalence - the total number of cases in a population at a particular time
• Incidence - the number of new cases in a population during a particular time period.

Question 7

Epidemiological Transition

Answer 7

The epidemiological transition model states that the main cause of mortality changes from infectious diseases to no communicable diseases over time.

The model had 3 stages originally but one more has been added:

• Stage 1 (Age of pestilence and famine)
• Stage 2 (Age of receding pandemics)
• Stage 3 (Age of degenerative and man-made diseases)
• Stage 4 (Delay of degenerative diseases)

Some people also think that there is a stage 5 where there is a re-emergence of infectious diseases due to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Question 8

What is the climates affect on the incidence of disease?

Answer 8

• Precipitation - many disease vectors need water to survive so there are more infectious diseases in hotter climates
• Temperature - many disease vectors can only survive above a certain temperature threshold
• Extreme events - heavy rainfall can lead to flooding, causing sewage systems to overflow
• Seasonally - Arctic areas experience very little sunlight during in the winter which can affect mental health
• Sunlight - lack of sunlight can result in Vitamin D deficiency

Question 9

What is the affect of the topography on the incidence of disease?

Answer 9

• Drainage - flood plains can have increased rates of diseases during flood periods
• Relief - standing water collects at low points in the landscape which provides an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos
• Altitude - high altitudes can increases the risk of skin cancer because of increased exposure to ultraviolet rays

Question 10

Air quality and health problems

Answer 10

Urban areas are most likely to be affected by poor air quality - urban air pollution is estimated to cause around 1.2 million deaths a year.

Long term exposure to poor air quality can cause respiratory problems such as asthma as well as various cardiovascular diseases and types of cancer.

Indoor air quality can also be poor if buildings aren’t properly ventilated.

Question 11

Water quality and health problems

Answer 11

Inadequate water and poor water sanitation and hygiene cause 829,000 diarrhoeal disease deaths per year.

Water quality can be affected by both disease-causing organisms and chemical toxins.

Bathing and cleaning in dirty water can also spread disease if the pathogen enters the body through open wounds or is ingested.

Question 12

Morbidity pattern of infectious diseases

Answer 12

Infectious diseases can be passed between people.

Reasons for the high morbidity of infectious diseases in less developed countries include; lack of clean water, sanitation and health car.

Question 13

Morbidity pattern of non-communicable diseases

Answer 13

Non-communicable diseases can’t be caught from someone else.

Reasons of high morbidity of non-communicable disease in more developed countries include:

• Higher proportion of elderly people
• Unhealthy life style - risk of some diseases if you’re overweight