Chapter 7: Comparing health status and burden of disease globally

Question 1

What is gross national income (GNI)?

Answer 1

Gross national income (GNI) per capita refers to the income of all residents from a country divided by its population, giving an average income for a single person of that country.

Question 2

What are economic characteristics?

Answer 2

Economic characteristics refer to financial conditions as determined by the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Question 3

What are economic characteristics of high-income countries?

Answer 3

• High average incomes
• Low levels of debt
• A wide range of trade opportunities
• Low levels of poverty
• Wide range of industries

Question 4

What are economic characteristics of middle-income countries?

Answer 4

• Moderate average incomes
• Moderate range of national industries
• Transitioning towards low levels of debt
• Transitioning towards greater opportunities for global trade
• Transitioning towards low levels of poverty

Question 5

What are economic characteristics of low-income countries?

Answer 5

• Low average incomes
• High levels of debt
• Few opportunities for global trade
• High levels of poverty
• Narrow range of national industries

Question 6

What are social characteristics?

Answer 6

Social characteristics refer to the collective conditions and values that people maintain in their country.

Question 7

 What are social characteristics of high-income countries?

Answer 7

• High levels of employment
• High levels of education
• Social support systems
• Low birth rates
• Developed healthcare system
• Access to technology

Question 8

 What are social characteristics of middle-income countries?

Answer 8

• Transitioning towards high levels of employment
• Transitioning towards high levels of education
• Increasing social support systems
• Transitioning towards lower birth rates
• Transitioning towards a developed healthcare system
• Transitioning towards greater access to technology
• Transitioning towards developed legal and political systems.

Question 9

 What are social characteristics of low-income countries?

Answer 9

• Inadequate access to technology
• Inadequate access to education
• Inadequate access to employment
• Inadequate social support systems
• High birth rates
• Underdeveloped healthcare system
• Underdeveloped legal and political systems

Question 10

What are environmental characteristics?

Answer 10

Environmental characteristics refer to the conditions of the physical surroundings that people inhabit.

Question 11

What are environmental characteristics of high-income countries?

Answer 11

• Adequate housing
• Access to safe water
• Adeqaute infrastucture
• Access to food
• Access to sanitation
• Agricultural productivity

Question 12

What are environmental characteristics of middle-income countries?

Answer 12

• Transitioning towards adequate infrastructure
• Transitioning towards complete access to clean water for all citizens
• Transitioning towards complete access to sanitation for all citizens
• Transitioning towards greater access to food for all citizens
• Transitioning towards an increase in agricultural productivity

Question 13

What are environmental characteristics of low-income countries?

Answer 13

• Inadequate access to safe drinking water
• Inadequate infrastructure
• Inadequate access to sanitation
• Inadequate access to food
• Inadequate agricultural productivity.

Question 14

What is safe water?

Answer 14

Safe water refers to water that is free from contaminants such as germs.

Question 15

How does access to safe water impact
health status?

Answer 15

Access to safe water decreases mortality rates associated with diarrhoeal disease, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. This, in turn, ensures that less people are dying prematurely from these diseases, increasing life expectancy.

Question 16

How does access to safe water impact burden
of disease?

Answer 16

Access to safe water decreases burden of disease. It ensures that fewer years of life are lost due to premature death from diarrhoeal disease (YLL) and that fewer years of life are lost due to disability associated with polio (YLD). This, in turn, decreases disability-adjusted life years (DALY).

Question 17

How does access to safe water impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 17

• Access to safe water decreases the likelihood of developing conditions such as dysentery. This, in turn, improves the functioning of the body and its systems, therefore promoting physical health and wellbeing.
• Access to safe water reduces the amount of time required to find and travel to safe water sources. This, in turn, decreases the stress of having to organise when to gather safe water, therefore promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Question 18

What is sanitation?

Answer 18

Sanitation refers to behaviours, facilities, and services that prevent disease and illness caused by contact with or mistreatment and wrong disposal of human waste and sewage.

Question 19

How does sanitation impact burden of disease?

Answer 19

Sanitation decreases burden of disease. It ensures that fewer people are dying prematurely from diarrhoeal disease (YLL) and decreases YLD
associated with people living with polio. This, in turn, decreases DALY.

Question 20

How does sanitation impact health status?

Answer 20

Sanitation decreases mortality rates from cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. This, in turn, ensures that less people are
dying prematurely from these diseases, increasing life expectancy.

Question 21

How does access to sanitation impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 21

• Access to sanitation decreases the likelihood of exposure to sewage, minimising the chances of developing cholera. This, in turn, improves the functioning of the body and its systems, therefore
  promoting physical health and wellbeing.
• Access to sanitation decreases the likelihood of absences during school caused by conditions such as polio. This, in turn, allows students to feel as though they are working towards achieving a greater purpose in life by accessing education, such as becoming qualified to work in their occupation of choice, therefore promoting spiritual health and wellbeing.

Question 22

What is relative poverty?

Answer 22

Relative poverty are those living on less than 50% of the average income in their country.

Question 23

What is extreme poverty?

Answer 23

Extreme poverty are those living on less than $1.90 US a day.

Question 24

How does poverty impact health status?

Answer 24

• Poverty can result in being unable to afford nutritious food. This, in turn, increases mortality rates from malnutrition. By increasing the amount of people dying prematurely from malnutrition, poverty likewise reduces life expectancy.
• Poverty can result in being unable to afford healthcare. This, in turn, decreases the amount of people who are able to receive vaccinations for infectious diseases such as pneumonia. This increases the transmission of pneumonia, leading to an increase in new cases, thereby increasing its
  incidence within a population group.

Question 25

How does poverty impact burden of disease?

Answer 25

• Poverty can result in being unable to afford nutritious food, which leads to more people dying prematurely from malnutrition (YLL) and experiencing symptoms of weakness and fatigue from hunger pains (YLD). This, in turn, increases DALY and burden of disease.
• Poverty can result in people being unable to afford healthcare services, which means that certain conditions may not be detected at an early stage, leading to more people dying prematurely from cancer (YLL) and enduring the symptoms of conditions such as hypertension (YLD). This, in turn, increases DALY.

Question 26

How does poverty impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 26

• Poverty can result in being unable to afford nutritious foods and developing conditions such as malnutrition. This, in turn, impairs the functioning of the body and its systems, therefore impairing physical health and wellbeing.
• Poverty can create financial stress related to being unable to afford resources such as food and housing. This, in turn, impairs mental health and wellbeing

Question 27

What is inequality?

Answer 27

Inequality refers to an uneven distribution of resources or differing circumstances.

Question 28

What is discrimination?

Answer 28

Discrimination refers to the unjust treatment of people due to their membership within a certain social category.

Question 29

How does inequality and discrimination impact
health status?

Answer 29

• Groups that experience discrimination in schools, such as name-calling or exclusion, may experience mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. This, in turn, can result in experiences of significant and prolonged distress, therefore increasing morbidity.
• Groups that experience discrimination in the workplace or other sectors may feel discouraged to continue working and making an income. This can result in these groups not being able to afford healthcare, such as doctor’s appointments. This can prevent the early detection and treatment of potentially life threatening illnesses, therefore increasing mortality rates for conditions such as hypertension.

Question 30

How does inequality and discrimination impact
burden of disease?

Answer 30

Inequality can involve an unequal distribution of wealth, with a particular population group receiving less money for their job than somebody else in their position. This can result in an inability to afford nutritious foods, resulting in premature death (YLL) and an increased amount of time spent fatigued or in poor health from related conditions such as malnutrition (YLD). This, in turn, increases DALY.

Question 31

How does inequality and discrimination impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 31

• Experiening discrimination in schools or workplaces can cause significant personal distress, meaning that people may not attend school or work as regularly. This impacts their capacity to develop and maintain relationships, impacting social health and wellbeing.
• Inequality related to the distribution of wealth can make it more challenging to afford resources such as nutritious food. This can lead to the development of conditions such as malnutrition. This, in turn, impairs the functioning of the body and its systems and impairs physical health and wellbeing.

Question 32

What is global distribution?

Answer 32

Global distribution refers to the process of providing goods and services to people living all across the world.

Question 33

What is global marketing?

Answer 33

Global marketing refers to the process of advertising goods and services across the world with the intention of increasing sales.

Question 34

How does the global distribution and marketing of tobacco impact health status?

Answer 34

The increased global distribution and marketing of tobacco can increase mortality rates for smoking-related conditions, such as lung cancer. With more people dying prematurely from conditions such as lung cancer, life expectancy is likely to decrease in turn.

Question 35

How does the global distribution and marketing of tobacco impact burden of disease?

Answer 35

The increased global distribution and marketing of tobacco increases burden of disease. More people will be dying prematurely from smoking-related conditions (e.g. cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary, lung cancer, etc.) (YLL), or living in poor health due to the side effects of smoking (e.g. shortness of breath) (YLD), therefore increasing DALY.

Question 36

How does the global distribution and marketing of tobacco impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 36

• The increased global distribution and marketing of tobacco can make it more likely for people to develop conditions such as lung cancer. This impairs the functioning of the body and its systems, therefore impairing physical health and wellbeing.
• The increased global distribution and marketing of tobacco makes it more likely for people to become addicted to smoking and feel as though they need cigarettes to manage their emotions effectively. This, in turn, can reduce their resilience, impairing emotional health and wellbeing.

Question 37

How does the global distribution and marketing of alcohol impact health status?

Answer 37

The increased global distribution and marketing of alcohol can increase mortality rates for
alcohol-related conditions, such as strokes. With more people dying prematurely from
conditions such as strokes, life expectancy is likely to decrease in turn.

Question 38

How does the global distribution and marketing of alcohol impact burden of disease?

Answer 38

The increased global distribution and marketing of alcohol increases burden of disease. Given that alcohol is often energy-dense, drinking can lead to premature death from weight-related conditions, such as cardiovascular disease (YLL), and an increased amount of time spent living in poor health due to obesity (YLD). This therefore increases DALY for countries that market alcohol products and distribute them throughout the country so that they are easily accessible to all.

Question 39

How does the global distribution and marketing of alcohol impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 39

• The increased global distribution and marketing of alcohol can make it more likely for people to develop conditions such as obesity, given that alcohol is often energy-dense. This impairs the functioning of the body and its systems, therefore impairing physical health and wellbeing.
• The increased global distribution and marketing of alcohol can increase health-related stress, for example about the increased likelihood of having a stroke from frequent alcohol use. This, in turn, impairs mental health and wellbeing.

Question 40

How does the global distribution and marketing of processed foods impact health status?

Answer 40

The increased global distribution and marketing of processed foods is likely to decrease life
expectancy due to people dying prematurely from obesity, or obesity-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

Question 41

How does the global distribution and marketing of processed foods impact burden of disease?

Answer 41

The increased global distribution and marketing of processed foods increases burden of disease. Consuming processed foods regularly can lead to premature death from obesity (YLL) and time spent living in poor health, such as heart and chest pains from cardiovascular disease (YLD). This therefore increases DALYs.

Question 42

How does the global distribution and marketing of processed foods impact health and wellbeing?

Answer 42

• The increased global distribution and marketing of processed foods increases the likelihood of developing conditions such as obesity. This, in turn, impairs the functioning of the body and its systems, therefore impairing physical health and wellbeing.
• The increased global distribution and marketing of processed foods can cause health-related stress about developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease. This, in turn, impairs mental health and wellbeing.