CHAPTER TWO: exploring differences in health status Flashcards by chelsea nguyen

leading causes of death in Australia

cardiovascular disease - coronary heart disease (heart attack and related disorders) and cerebrovascular disease (mainly in the form of stroke)
dementia (alzheimer’s)
lung cancer
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

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causes of mortality by age

chronic conditions are the prominent cause of death among people aged 45 and over
external causes such as accidents, suicide and poisoning are more prominent causes of death for younger people (15-44 years)

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chronic conditions

non communicable
highest contributors to morbidity and burden of disease in australia
includes cardiovascular disease, COPD, cancer, diabetes mellitus, asthma, osteoarthritis, back problems, mental and behavioural problems

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disability

blanket term to describe impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions

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biological factors

relating to the body that impact on health and wellbeing and thus overall levels of health status, including genetics, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose levels, age and birthweight

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genetics

biological factor

plays a role in determining lifespan health and wellbeing and the likelihood of developing specific diseases
predisposition to disease: influence an individual’s risk of getting some diseases, but it does not mean that an individual will develop this condition
other related conditions are caused by the inheritance of DNA variants, referred to as mutations, which result in a change in one of the genes affecting the way the body works or develops

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body weight

biological factor

particular concern to Australia’s health status is the incidence of overweight and obesity
overweight and obese individuals are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, type 2 diabetes mellitus
body weight is influenced by genetics as well as body function in relation to metabolism and hormonal control

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blood cholesterol

biological factor

waxy, fatty substance found in all cells of the body
used by the body for the production of hormones, vitamin D and digestive enzymes

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blood pressure

biological factor

measurement of pressure of the blood in the artery
rises and falls during the day and is influenced by a number of factors; for example, body position, exercise, sleep and emotional state
hypertension: heart is working too hard, increasing the risk of heart failure
hypertension can result in other conditions: congestive heart failure, kidney disease and blindness
- causes of hypertension: narrowing of the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood, or the heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should
lifestyle choices that increase the risk: excessive alcohol use, tobacco use, too much sodium (salt) in the diet, stress

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blood glucose regulation

biological factor

impaired glucose regulation (IGR) - pre-diabetes
refers to blood glucose levels that are above the normal range, but not high enough for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus

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birthweight

biological factor

first weight of the newborn measured immediately after birth
low birthweight: <2500 g
reasons why a baby may be born with low birthweight
- premature birth
  - when a baby is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy
- foetal growth restriction
  - when feotus doesn’t gain an appropriate amount of weight before birth due to problems with the placenta, infections, the age of the mother
  - low birthweight is more prevalent for young mothers aged 15-17 and older mothers in their forties
health problems faced by low-birthweight babies
- respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
- bleeding in the brain
- heart problems
- eye conditions

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age

biological factor

ageing → deterioration of body systems due to various forms of cellular damage that occur over time
- causes reduction of both physical and mental function → makes individual more susceptible to diseases including osteoarthritis, dementia, cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, hearing loss

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sociocultural factors

social and cultural conditions into which people are born, grown, live, work and age
can often be outside of an individual’s control

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social networks - family

sociocultural factor

social disadvantages in childhood → limit opportunities for health throughout a child’s entire life
earliest years of an individual’s life → crucial impact on their path of health and wellbeing
limitations on parental education and income can either create or restrict their ability to provide opportunities to model healthy behaviours for their children to adopt

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social networks - peers and the community

sociocultural factor

support can be emotional (nurturing, encouraging), instrumental or physical (financial), or informational (advice)
social networks → increase health outcomes → higher levels of self-esteem → improved mental hwb
peer and community groups
- negative impact
  - a person may be more likely to smoke if their friends do
- positive impact
  - a person may participate in regular exercise if their friends do

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socioeconomic status

sociocultural factor

social class; key elements of income, education level, employment status and occupational type
people with a lower SES → poorer health outcomes → higher rates of disease and disability → lower life expectancy

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level of education

sociocultural factor

high levels of education → associated with higher income and better employment prospects
allows individuals to participate in, and connect with the wider community
better health literacy → improved lifestyle decisions

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employment status

sociocultural factor

the workplace can promote healthy activities and behaviours, a sense of identity, social status and purpose in life, as well as additional social support
provides source of income
unemployment
- less likely to have strong support networks
- long term unemployment → increases risk of self-harm, suicide and attempted suicide
limited finances
- limits healthy lifestyle choices → increases other behavioural risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, drug use

overcrowding and homelessness

sociocultural factor

housing - basic human right
overcrowding and homelessness → detrimental to an individual’s health status
overcrowding → increased stress on health infrastructure (e.g. water supply and sewerage systems)
main impact on the health of children and can cause respiratory conditions, skin infections and meningitis

acess to health information

sociocultural factor

culture, beliefs, affordability, education
inability to access health information and healthcare services → detrimental to health
- misdiagnosis of disease
- lack of understanding about how to prevent disease
- increased likelihood of mortality from a disease due to lack of treatment and/or lack of knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the condition

environmental factors

refers to the situations and surroundings that exert an influence on people’s health and wellbeing
surroundings in which individuals exist on a daily basis
air, water and sanitation quality; access to physical resources such as
transport, recreation facilities or healthcare; workplace; climate change and natural disasters. Other factors can include geographic location and exposure to hazards.
includes home, school, workplace, geographical location (city/rural) and the wider community
can be direct or indirect, simple or complex, and immediate or delayed
for some people, the physical environment may contain harmful or toxic substances that also impact their health

air, water and sanitation quality

environmental factor

many environmental influences are involuntary
- indoor air may contain constituents such as asbestos, moulds, radon gas, carbon monoxide and methane
water quality in australia
- extremely high
- water ways - high quality according to global standards → low count of faecal contamination and industrial pollution
- diseases associated with poor quality water consumption → gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, typhoid fever and hepatitis
- parasitic diseases associated with poor quality water consumption → giardiasis, dysentery, diarrhoea
- unsafe drinking water → dehydration due to loss of fluids when experiencing diarrhoea → loss of life

access to physical resources such as transport, recreation facilities and healthcare

environmental factor

transport systems and infrastructure
- PT → enables people to access a range of services, recreational facilities and healthcare → improves health status of a population
- rural areas
recreational facilities
- lack of access to recreational facilities (e.g. parks, walking and cycling tracks and well-made sporting grounds) → risk factor for chronic diseases esp. respiratory conditions
geographic location of resources such as healthcare

workplace

environmental factor

type of work and tasks involved → influences a worker’s risk of physical injury and illness

climate change and natural disasters

environmental factor

males and females

an individual’s sex can lead to health differences due to the physical differences in reproductive systems, as well as hormone production and release
gender: refers to the values, norms and expectations that society attributes to being a man or a woman

differences in health status

factors contributing to variations in health status of males & females

Males have:
- life expectancy around 4 years less than females
- higher death rates for all age groups
- higher rates of mortality from lung
cancer and COPD
- higher rates of injury than females
- higher rates of deaths due to suicide, road trauma and violence
- higher rates of morbidity from cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer
- higher rates of diabetes
- lower rates of osteoporosis
- lower rates of mental disorders
- lower rates of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease

biological factors

factors contributing to variations in health status of males & females

Males experience:
- higher rates of overweight and slightly higher rates of obesity
- higher rates of trunk/abdominal fat
- genetic predisposition to conditions such as cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer
- higher rates of hypertension
- higher levels of testosterone, increasing risks of some conditions
Females experience:
- genetic predisposition to breast cancer
- higher levels of oestrogen which plays a protective role against cardiovascular disease, until menopause

sociocultural factors

factors contributing to variations in health status of males & females

Males are more likely to:
- have a higher SES (especially in single parent households)
- experience stress related to unemployment
Females are more likely to:
- access health information and support services

environmental factors

factors contributing to variations in health status of males & females

Males are more likely to:
- be exposed to unsafe work environments
- be exposed to hazardous substances in the workplace
- work outdoors, increasing sun exposure

differences in health status

factors contributing to variations in the health of A&TSI populations

Compared with other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have:
- lower life expectancy of approximately 10 years
- poorer self-assessed health status
- higher rates of physical disability
- higher death rates from cancer
- higher morbidity rates from cardiovascular disease
- higher rates of chronic kidney disease
- higher mortality rates and burden of disease from diabetes
- higher rates of infectious diseases such as STIs, ear and eye infections
- higher rates of infant mortality
- higher injury death and hospitalisation rates
- higher levels of psychological distress
- higher rates of dental decay and gum disease

biological factors

factors contributing to variations in the health of A&TSI populations

Compared with other Australians, Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples have a higher prevalence of:
- overweight and obesity
- insulin resistance and impaired glucose regulation
- hypertension
- low-birthweight babies
- high blood cholesterol levels

sociocultural factors

factors contributing to variations in the health of A&TSI populations

Compared with other Australians Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples are more likely to experience:
- higher rates of unemployment
- lower incomes
- lower retention rates for education
- higher rates of social exclusion
- lower rates of home ownership
- more negative issues relating to housing, including overcrowding and homelessness
- poverty
- cultural barriers to accessing healthcare

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environmental factors

factors contributing to variations in the health of A&TSI populations

Compared with other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are more likely to be exposed to:
- poor air quality (e.g. due to exposure to environmental tobacco smoke)
- lower quality roads if living in remote areas
- poor quality or limited recreational facilities
- lack of access to running water and sanitation systems if in a remote area
- reduced access to services due to living in rural or remote areas compared with other Australians

biological factors

factors contributing to variations in health status of high & low SES

Compared with high-SES groups, low-SES groups experience:
- higher rates of obesity
- higher rates of high blood pressure
- higher rates of glucose intolerance
- higher rates of low birthweight babies

differences in health status

factors contributing to variations in health status of high & low SES

Compared with high-SES groups, low-SES groups experience:
- lower life expectancy
- higher death rates
- more avoidable deaths from causes such as injuries
- higher infant mortality rates
- higher rates of diabetes
- higher rates of coronary heart disease
- higher rates of psychological distress and mental health
conditions such as depression
- higher rates of morbidity from respiratory diseases
- higher prevalence of and mortality rates from lung cancer

environmental factors

factors contributing to variations in health status of high & low SES

Compared with high-SES groups, low-SES groups are more likely to experience:
- greater rates of exposure to tobacco smoke in the home
- exposure to high risks in the work environment
- poor access to infrastructure and physical resources

sociocultural factors

factors contributing to variations in health status of high & low SES

Compared with highSES groups, low-SES groups are more likely to have:
- lower levels of educational attainment, affecting employment options
- higher levels of unemployment
- less likelihood of accessing preventative health services