CHAPTER ONE: understanding health outcomes

Question 1

optimal health and wellbeing

Answer 1

• the best possible state of an individual’s health and wellbeing for their age

Question 2

health

Answer 2

• a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity

Question 3

wellbeing

Answer 3

• a complex combination of all dimensions of health, characterised by an equilibrium in which the individual feels happy, healthy, capable and engaged

Question 4

illness

Answer 4

• the state of feeling unwell or being in poor health, often due to disease or injury
• can occur due to a specific condition that prevents the body from functioning normally and involves the individual experiencing symptoms that can be described subjectively

Question 5

dynamic

Answer 5

• constantly changing or moving in response to its environment and experiences

Question 6

subjective

Answer 6

• influenced by or based on a person’s feelings, opinions and experiences

Question 7

chronic disease

Question 8

physical health and wellbeing

Answer 8

• refers to the efficient functioning of the body and its systems
• includes the physical capacity to perform tasks and physical fitness
• examples
  
  • free from illness, disease, injury
  • maintaining an ideal body weight
  • consuming a balanced diet
  • well rested
  • having an adequate level of energy
  • having a strong immune system
  • having well functioning body systems
  • being able to perform daily activities effectively

Question 9

social health and wellbeing

Answer 9

• refers to being able to interact and develop relationships with others in a meaningful way, and participate in the community in a way that adapts or manages different social situations appropriately
• examples
• accepting responsibility for one’s actions
• maintaining a network of supportive friends
• ability to formmeaningful and satisfying relationships
• being a supportive family member
• communicating effectively with others
• being respectful of others in a range of situations or social groups

Question 10

emotional health and wellbeing

Answer 10

• relates to being able to manage and express feelings in a healthy way, and to display resilience in everyday life
• examples
• expressing emotions in a positive way
• displaying resilience
• feeling relaxed in everyday life
• positively managing emotions

Question 11

mental health and wellbeing

Answer 11

• refers to the current state of wellbeing of the mind or brain. It also relates to the ability to think and process information in order to positively form opinions and make decisions
• examples
• ability to think and process information
• low levels of stress and anxiety
• positive self esteem
• sense of confidence
• sense of optimism and positive thoughts
• using logic to positively form opinions and mkae decisions

Question 12

spiritual health and wellbeing

Answer 12

• refers to a phenomenon that is not material in nature. Instead, it belongs to the realm of ideas (in particular, ennobling ideas), beliefs, values and ethics that have arisen in the minds and
  consciences of human beings
• examples
• living according to ideas, beliefs, values and ethics
• having a sense of hope, peace or meaning/value
• having a purpose in life
• feeling a sense of connection or belonging
• reflecting on one’s place in the world
• identifying with a belief or faith system or practising a religion

Question 14

individually

importance of health and wellbeing as a resource

Answer 14

• recognises that healthier citizens of a country equate to a more effective workforce, healthier children, fewer births and hence fewer dependants
• increased ability to run a household
• Increased ability to maintain independence
• increased life expectancy
• reduced health care costs
• greater choices
• increased productivity/income
• sense of purpose, fulfilment, success
• spend time with friends/family * More time to attend
  school/work
• increased energy
• meaningful engagement with community
• increased self-esteem, feeling good about oneself

Question 15

nationally

importance of health and wellbeing as a resource

Answer 15

• recognises that healthier citizens of a country equate to a more effective workforce, healthier children, fewer births and hence fewer dependants
• healthy populations help to build a productive workforce, increasing national income through taxation
• fewer people relying on social protection
• higher average incomes
• reduced absenteeisms from workplace
• improved life expectancy
• increased economic development
• increased social development
• reduced levels of stress in the community
• reduced burden on the healthcare system, resulting in taxation money being able to be spent elsewhere, such as education, infrastucture

Question 16

globally

importance of health and wellbeing as a resource

Answer 16

• when populations are experiencing optimal health and wellbeing, they are more likely to experience prosperity, ensuring a decent standard of living
• promotes opportunities for nations, providing stability
  and opportunity, securing increased global security and human rights
• increased global economic development
• decreased emergence or re-emergence of an infectious disease or other health threat somewhere in the world,
  which can cross borders
• increased global security/freedom
• increased access jto human rights
• increased global social development
• increased global sustainabilty

Question 17

health status

Answer 17

• ‘An individual’s or a population’s overall health, taking into account various aspects such as life expectancy, amount of disability and levels of disease risk factors’ (AIHW, 2008).

Question 18

self-assessed health status

health status indicator

Answer 18

• an overall measure of a population’s health based on a person’s own perceptions of their health
• dependent on an individual’s awareness of all components of their health and provides a broad measure, but may or may not be in line with a health professional’s assessment or an objective health assessment technique

Question 19

life expectancy

health status indicator

Answer 19

• ‘An indication of how long a person can expect to live; it is the number of years of life remaining to a person at a particular age if death rates do not change’ (AIHW, 2008)
• no indication of the quality of life, only its quantity

Question 20

health-adjusted life expectancy

health status indicator

Answer 20

• 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
• an estimate of the number of healthy years (free from disability or disease) that a person born in a particular year can expect to live based on current trends in death and disease patterns

Question 21

mortality

health status indicator

Answer 21

• the number of deaths caused by a particular disease, illness
  or other environmental factor

Question 22

infant, under-5 and maternal mortality

health status indicator

Answer 22

- infant mortality → the number of deaths among children aged under one year in a given period
- infant mortality rate → the number of deaths among children aged under one year in a given period, per 1000 live births in the
same period
- under-5 mortality → the number of deaths among children under five years of age
- under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) → the number of deaths of children under five years of age per 1000 live births’ (WHO, 2008)
- widely used indicator of a population’s health status because it is associated with a population’s access to education, level of economic development and availability of health services

- maternal mortality → refers to the number of deaths of women due to pregnancy, childbirth or during the six weeks after the end of pregnancy

Question 23

morbidity

health status indicator

Answer 23

• the occurrence of disease, illness, disability and injury in a population
• the ill-health in an individual and the levels of ill-health in a population or group

Question 24

burden of disease

health status indicator

Answer 24

• measure of the impact of diseases and injuries
• specifically, it measures the gap between current health status and an ideal situation where everyone lives to an old age free of disease and disability
• burden of disease is measured in a unit called the DALY
  - disability-adjusted life year (DALY) → measure of burden of disease; one DALY equals one year of healthy life lost due to premature death and time lived with illness, disease or injury
  **- years of life lost (YLL) **→ the fatal burden of disease of a population, defined as the years of life lost due to death
  **- years of life lost due to disability (YLD) **→ the

Question 25

incidence

health status indicator

Answer 25

• the number or rate of new cases of a particular condition during a specific time.

Question 26

prevalence

health status indicator

Answer 26

• the number or proportion of cases of a particular disease or condition present in a population at a given time’ (AIHW, 2008).

Question 27

prerequisites for health

Answer 27

• the fundamental conditions and resources that provide a secure foundation for health and wellbeing, as defined by the WHO
• peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem,
  sustainable resources, social justice and equity

Question 28

peace

health prerequisite

Answer 28

• more than just an absense of war and conflict
• also means access to education, health and essential services,
  developing sustainably and protecting the planet’s biodiversity

Question 29

improved health outcomes linked to peace

Answer 29

• reduced risk of injuries, promoting physical hwb and reducing mortality rates
• reduces stress, promoting mental hwb
• promotes feelings of safety and security, promoting emotional hwb
• increases the likelihood of having access to human rights, making it safer for people to practise their religious beliefes, promoting spiritual hwb
• improves access to infrastructure (such as healthcare services) so that people can access the care they need, reducing burden of disease

Question 30

shelter

health prerequisite

Answer 30

• a dwelling that provides safety, security and privacy
• means that basic necessities, including food, clothing, healthcare and heating, are also available

Question 31

improved health outcomes linked to shelter

Answer 31

• provides protection from the environment, such as mosquitoes which transmit malaria - reduces U5MR and increase life expectancy
• provides people with feelings of security and safety and can reduce stress, promoting emotional and mental hwb
• provides a place for people to gather and form relationships, promoting social hwb
• provides a sense of belonging for people, promoting spiritual hwb
• provides a safe place to live and resources such as sanitation, heating and , promoting physcial hwb

Question 32

education

health prerequisite

Answer 32

• strong association with employment opportunities, level of literacy skills and level of income
• ‘health literacy is described as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions’ (Baker, 2006).

Question 33

improved health outcomes linked to education

Answer 33

• promotes the importance of prenatal and antenatal care for pregnant women and the positive impact of healthcare for their baby, reducing maternal and infant mortality rates
• increases understanding of concepts such as nutrition, promoting physical hwb
• increases choices and opportunities in life, which can promote a sense of purpose, promoting spiritual hwb
• improves social skills, which can improve relationships, promoting social hwb
• often leads to higher income, which can improve living standards and promote physical hwb

Question 34

food

health prerequisite

Answer 34

• nutritious food gives the individual the ability to withstand the effects of exposure to illness and injury
• reduces the impact of chronic diseases such as diabetes and infectious diseases such as malaria, and reduce premature mortality and increase life expectancy
• can avoid psychological distress and mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety experienced during food insecurity

Question 35

improved health outcomes linked to food

Answer 35

• builds strong immune systems to reduce the risk of infectious disease, increasing life expectancy
• provides energy for body functions, promoting physical hwb
• forms part of social celebrations, helping people to
  build relationships, promoting social hwb
• having access to adequate nutritious food and not worrying about where your next meal will come from reduces stress and anxiety, improving mental hwb
• provides nourishment for pregnant women so they can deliver strong, healthy babies, promoting physical hwb

Question 36

income

health prerequisite

Answer 36

• ## the higher a person’s income, education or occupation level, the healthier they tend to be (social gradient of health)

Question 37

improved health outcomes linked to income

Answer 37

• increases access to healthcare needed, reducing the time spent in poor health and increasing life expectancy
• earning an income provides an opportunity to join a club and/or be part of a team, promoting social hwb
• being employed and earning an income increases confidence and optimism, promoting mental hwb
• being able to pay the bills helps people feel more secure and relaxed, promoting emotional hwb
• earning a living and providing for family provides a sense of purpose, promoting spiritual hwb

Question 38

stable ecosystem

health prerequisite

Answer 38

• refers to achieving a balance between the living (plants, animals, people, microorgansims such as bacteria) and non living (weather, rocks, water, soil) components of an area
• indicates that all living things are having their needs for food, air, water, shelter and reproduction met without causing detrimental effects to the natural environment

Question 39

improved health outcomes linked to a stable ecosystem

Answer 39

• improves access to food, reducing malnutrition and promoting physical hwb
• helps to provide water and food, which can increase feelings of optimism and promote mental hwb
• provides spaces for leisure (such as bush walking), promoting physical hwb
• improves access to clean water, which can reduce waterborne disease and reduce child mortality rates

Question 40

sustainable resources

health prerequisite

Answer 40

• enable natural systems to function, remain diverse and produce what is required for the ecology to remain in balance; maintaining current living practices while also
  ensuring these resources will be available for future generations

Question 41

improved health outcomes linked to sustainable resources

Answer 41

• access to sustainable water supply reduces the risk of waterborne illness, reducing mortality rates.
• ensuring sustainable farming practices helps to provide stable employment, which promotes a sense of purpose and therefore spiritual hwb
• access to sustainable energy, food and water reduces feelings of stress and promotes mental hwb
• access to sustainable food and water helps to reduce the risk of malnutrition and promotes physical hwb

Question 42

social justice and equity

Question 43

improved health outcomes linked to social justice

Answer 43

• people who experience social justice are more likely to be optimistic about their future, promoting mental hwb
• social justice improves access to services such as healthcare, which can reduce burden of disease
• social justice helps people to have a better sense of hope in life, increasing spiritual hwb

Question 44

improved health outcomes linked to equity