Core 1 Flashcards
What is epidemiology?
The study of patterns and cause of health issues / diseases in populations, and study of this study to improve health.
Where do you collect epidemiology from?
The collection of data from hospitals, GP’s, health care and census information.
How is the information for epidemiology used to improve health?
Data and trends are gathered and analysed to help identify priority health issues and possible causes of disease or illness.
What is mortality?
The leading causes of death in Australia
Examples of mortality and trend:
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Lung cancer
- Australia’s death rate is on the decline.
what is infant mortality?
The number of deaths among children aged under 1 year in a given period
what is the current trend for infant mortality?
Australia’s infant mortality rate is on the decline.
What is morbidity?
Refers to ill health within an individual
examples of morbidity and trend:
Increased rates of diabetes and dementia.
what is life expectancy?
An indication of how long a person can expect to live
What is the life average life expectancy of women and men?
• Women live to the age of 84.9
• Men live to the age of 80.7
Define equity:
The quality of being fair and impartial.
What is an example of Equity?
ATSI is a group of people who require additional funding and resources in order to improve health outcomes, as they have poorer health.
Define diversity:
The differences that exist between people.
What is an example of diversity?
Having language interpreters in hospitals.
Define supportive environments:
Where people live, work and play, to protect people from health threats and that increase their ability to make health-promoting choices.
What is an example of supportive environments?
Rural and remote people whose environment is not as supportive as others, as they don’t have as much access to health care facilities.
What are population groups that have poorer health compared to the rest of Australia?
- ATSI (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders)
- Rural and remote living people
- Elderly
- Low socioeconomic status
What is an example of a priority populations group?
ATSI males and females can expect to live 10 years less than the non-ATSI population.
What is prevalence?
The number of cases in a population at a given time.
What is an example of high prevalence?
diabetes
What is a disease that has a high potential to be prevented and why?
Type 2 Diabetes as It is a lifestyle disease caused by inactivity and poor dietary choices.
What is a disease with a higher rate of successful treatment when identified and treated early?
All cancers have a higher chance of a successful treatment when treated early as the cancer will not have spread much at stage one. Therefore, it is easier to remove.
What is a disease that comes as a cost to the individual when treated?
CVD is very expensive to treat, often involving large surgical procedures, lengthy recovery periods, loss of independence, loss of income, and is linked with lower self-esteem levels.
What is a disease that comes as a cost to the community when treated?
With CVD, the community pays for the surgery, the company the person works for loses money and family and friends often take time off work and become anxious about their relatives health and may be needed to be a carer for their relative.
Social justice principles: equity
As cancer is prevalent in our community it must be a priority health issue
Social justice principles: diversity
Cancer education is high priority in order to prevent it.
Social justice principles: supportive environments
Will help prevent cancer as people will ensue there is access to screening units.
Define health inequity:
Something that a population group has a higher percentage of, e.g. ATSI have a higher prevalence of cancer.
What is the nature and extent of health inequities for ATSI?
- ATSI peoples experience the largest gap in health outcomes in Australia.
- They currently have a life expectancy 10 years lower than other Australians.
Life expectancy for ATSI:
(males and females)
- Males= = 71.6 - ATSI
- Females = 75.6 - ATSI
Mortality rates for ATSI:
higher than non-indigenous
ATSI Infant mortality rates:
Declining
ATSI socioeconomic factors:
- Higher rates of homelessness
> Due to less education and lack of money.
ATSI environmental factors:
- Harder to access healthcare facilities as they live in rural/remote areas
> Contributes to the gap in health outcome
Roles to improve health for the individual (ATSI):
- Must take control of their own health and develop a positive attitude.
> Done by aiming to increase their knowledge on health by education
For example: The government funds this knowledge by giving ATSI peoples a special entry into universities so they can be educated and get a job.
Roles to improve health for the community (ATSI):
- Provides healthy and supportive environments
For example: Purple House provides kidney dialysis units in 10 remote Indigenous communities so they don’t have to travel as far to receive treatment.
Roles to improve health for the government (ATSI):
- Aim to reduce ill health, suffering, distress and helplessness.
For example: Close the Gap is a government initiative that was sspecifically designed and implemented programs to address risk taking behaviours of individuals.
R/R areas life expectancy:
- Have shorter lives and higher rates of disease and injury.
> Due to lack of health care facilities
R/R major sickness:
Diabetes, suicide, stroke
- linked with lack of healthcare facilities
(Longer wait for diagnosis and treatment)
R/R morbidity rates:
- Higher levels of disease & injury
> less access to health services
R/R sociocultural factors:
- Poor indicators of health, e.g. smoking, influences family members such as children to be brought up normalising smoking.
R/R socioeconomic factors:
- Lack of education and employment, which ultimately leads to lack of income.
- They are more likely to work on farms or transportation mines, which have a higher rates of smoking and alcohol usage.
R/R environmental factors:
- Very limited to access to healthcare facilities.
- People often need to travel far for help, depending on what their medical condition is.
For example: If you have cancer, there are screening units placed in R/R areas
R/R individual roles to improve health:
- Take responsibility for their own health.
(If you know you have an untreated medical condition, make time to travel out of the area to get help) - Can promote family to do the same.
R/R community roles to improve health:
- Develop programs that encourage healthy behaviours
R/R government roles to improve health:
- The government funds programs to assist in delivery of health.
For example: The royal flying doctors service is an air service that comes to people in R/R areas that don’t have time to travel out for medical help.
Nature of CVD:
used to describe many different conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels.
- CVD covers all diseases of heart & circulatory system in 3 major forms:
- Coronary heart disease – poor blood supply to the heart
- Stroke – interruption of blood to the brain
- Peripheral vascular disease – disease of arteries & capillaries that affect limbs
- Main cause = raised blood pressure
Extent of the problem of CVD:
- Second leading causes of deaths, after cancer
- Trend = steady decline since the 1960’s (both)
Risk and protective factors of CVD:
RISK:
- Having a high calorie diet
- Lack of exercise
PROTECTIVE:
- Regular physical activity
- Eating a balanced diet
- Regular health check ups
Sociocultural determinants of CVD:
- Lifestyle: Children who grow up in a household that is obese, are more likely to grow in a similar lifestyle.
Socioeconomic determinants of CVD:
- Education: The more educated you are, the more likely you are to be employed and get an income, thus less likely of living an unhealthy lifestyle.
Environmental determinants of CVD:
- R/R areas: The speed of treatment for heart attacks or strokes, greatly affect the results.