Chapter 2

Question 1

What is self- assessed health status?

Answer 1

• An indicator that reflects a person’s perception of his or her own health and wellbeing at a given point

Question 2

What is life expectancy?

Answer 2

Life expectancy is the number of years an individual is expected to live if existing death rates continue

Question 3

Why is life expectant sometimes a useless indicator?

What is life expectancy used to compare?

Answer 3

• Life expectancy is a useful health indicator particularly when comparing countries or population groups
  
  • Life expectancy however does not give an indication of the quality of life

Question 4

What is HALE and what does it stand for? How is it calculated?

Answer 4

A measure of burden of disease based on life expectancy at birth, but including an adjustment for time spent in poor health. It is the number of years in full health that a person can expect to live, based on current rates of ill health and mortality.

It is an indicator of both quantity and quality of life

HALE= life expectancy- number of years living in unhealthy states

Question 5

What is morbidity?

Answer 5

Refers to ill health in an individual and the levels of ill health in a population or group (usually measured in a 12 month period)

Question 6

What is maternal mortality?

Answer 6

A number of deaths of women while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management

but not from accidental or incidental causes.

Measured per 100 000 live births