chapter 5- changes in Australia's health status Flashcards
public health
public health relates to the actions the government takes to prevent illness and promote health and well being.
The health of the population as a whole
old public health
‘old public health’ had a focus on changing the physical environment to prevent spread of disease.
e.g. providing safe water, sanitation and sewage disposal, improved nutrition, improved housing conditions and better work conditions.
1800 to 1960s
increased risk of infectious diseases was due to-
-poor air quality due to the rise of factories.
• inadequate food storage and preparation.
• waste collection being performed by ‘nightmen’,
who deposited it into main waterways, which resulted in an increase of diseases such as cholera
patterns in mortality over time
- vaccine preventable diseases
- infectious and parasitic diseases
- Circulatory diseases
- Cancer
Biomedical model of health
Focusses on the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness. It is a medical model practiced by doctors and health professionals and is associated with the diagnosis, treatment and cure of disease.
dominated australias health system
strengths of the biomedical model of health
- Life expectancy extended and quality of life improved
- Leads to significant advances in medical technology and research
- imdividual based not population so treatment is more appplicible
limitations of the biomedical model of health
- The ‘fix-it’ approach doesn’t promote good health
- Relies on costly medical technology and practitioners
- Not all conditions can be treated or cured
- relatively expensive as medical professionals and technology is central to the approach
improvements in medical technology
- 1907 first successful blood transfusion
- 1945 development of the influenza vaccine
features/approach of the biomedical model of health
It is relatively expensive
It focuses on the disease itself and not the factors that contribute to disease
- therefore doesn’t specifically target disease prevention
It is responsible for many developments in medical technology and knowledge
- and is therefore a key reason for life expectancy increasing
It focusses on individuals with disease, not the whole population.
Policies and practices associated with the old public health / shift to health promotion
- improved water and sanitation
- Quarantine laws
- Improved food and nutrition
- Improved working conditions
- Establishment of public health campaigns
- More hygienic birthing practice
New public health
An approach to health that expands the traditional focus on individual behaviour change to one that considers the ways in which physical, sociocultural and political environments impact on health. Also referred to as the social model of health
Social model of health
An approach that directs effort towards addressing the physical, sociocultural and political environments of health that have an impact on individuals and population groups
defining features of the social health model
It focuses on the broader determinants (factors) of health (the sociocultural and environmental factors)
It focuses on communities and groups rather than individuals
It is relatively inexpensive as a large focus is in education and disease prevention.
It can prevent diseases from occurring in the first place
It aims to improve the health status of disadvantaged groups
strengths of the social health model
It promotes good HWB because it prevents diseases
It promotes overall HWB as it focuses on factors that contribute to a disease
It is relatively inexpensive
It focuses on vulnerable population groups as it includes a focus on equity
Education can be passed on from generation to generation
limitiations of the social health model
Not every condition can be prevented
It does not promote the development of technology and medical knowledge
It does not address health and wellbeing concerns of individuals
health promotions can be ignored, resulting in nothing