Chapter 1.1- Measuring health status.

Question 1

Define health status

Answer 1

the pattern of health of the population in general over a period of time.

Question 2

epidemiology

Answer 2

the study of disease in groups or populations.

Question 3

In what 4 terms does Epidemiology considers the patterns of disease?

Answer 3

~ prevalence
~ incidence
~ distribution
~ apparent causes

Question 4

Define prevalence

Answer 4

the number of cases of disease in a population at a specific time

Question 5

Define incidence

Answer 5

the number of new cases of disease occurring in a population

Question 6

Define distribution

Answer 6

the extent

Question 7

Define apparent causes

Answer 7

determinants and indicators

Question 8

Limitations of epidemiology

Answer 8

~ do not always show the significant variations in the health status among population subgroups.

~fail to explain ‘why’ health inequities persist

~do not account for health determinants — the social, economic, environmental and cultural factors that shape health.

~Statistics tell us little about the degree and impact of illness.

Question 9

Define Mortality

Answer 9

is the number of deaths in a group of people or from a disease over a specific time period, usually one year.

Question 10

In Australia overall, the main causes of death are:

Answer 10

~cancers
~cardiovascular diseases
~respiratory diseases

Question 11

The infant mortality rate

Answer 11

is the number of infant deaths in the first year of life per 1000 live births.

Question 12

Infant mortality can be divided into:

Answer 12

~neonatal
deaths in the first 28 days of life

~post-neonatal
deaths in the remainder of the first year of life

Question 13

reasons for the decline in the infant mortality rate in Australia

Answer 13

~improved medical diagnosis and treatment of illness

~improved public sanitation

~health education

~improved support services for parents and newborn babies and children.

Question 14

Define Morbidity

Answer 14

(sickness) refers to patterns of illness, disease and injury that do not result in death.

Question 15

Morbidity measures and indicators include:

Answer 15

~hospital use (the cause and number of admissions to hospital). limitations as indicators of morbidity as they do not distinguish between re-admissions for the same condition and conditions that require further care. Rather, they treat each episode of inpatient care as a new case.

~doctor visits and Medicare statistics.

~health surveys and reports.

~disability and handicap.

Question 16

Define Life expectancy

Answer 16

the length of time a person can expect to live.