Core 1: FQ2 What are the priority issues for improving Australia's health? Flashcards
Groups experiencing health inequalities
ATSI socioeconomically disadvantaged rural and remote people over-seas born the elderly people with disabilities
How much lower is the ATSI life expectancy?
10 years lower
ASTI mortality rates (male and female)
62 per cent of Indigenous males and 54 per cent of Indigenous females who died were younger than 65 years (2016)
Non-ATSI mortality rates (male and female)
21 per cent of non-Indigenous males and 13 per cent of non-Indigenous females who died younger than 65 years (2016).
How many times higher is the ATSI mortality rate?
3 times higher
How many times higher is the ATSI infant mortality rate?
2 times higher
Two trends in ATSI health status:
a decline in death rates from all causes for Indigenous males (reflecting a similar reduction for all Australian males)
a similar decline in death rates for Indigenous females.
ASTI health determinants
Socioeconomic determinatns: these include lower levels of education, employment and income.
These indicators are linked to higher health risk factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, poor housing and exposure to violence.
Sociocultural determinants: the neighbourhood in which they live and the quality of social connections with family,
Socioeconomic status
can be broadly measured by a person’s level of income, education, housing and employment.
People of lower SES tend to have:
higher mortality and higher levels of illness than those of the more affluent groups in the population. People in the highest SES groups tend to have more choices and resources available to them and they enjoy better health outcomes.
T/F: people of higher SES have lower infant mortality rate
true
T/F: lower socioeconomic people are less informed to health information and choices
true
The decline in heart disease death rates is higher in lower SES or higher SES?
higher SES
Smoking prevalence of lower SES
In 2013, of those people 14 years or older, 20 per cent of people with the lowest SES smoked daily, compared with 6.7 per cent of people
T/F: people of lower SES are less likely to use preventative health services
True
Eg. family planning, dental check ups, pap smears
Mortality rates of lower SES
The 20 per cent of Australians living in the lowest socioeconomic areas in 2014–15 were 1.6 times as likely to have at least two chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
refers to damage to, or disease of, the heart, arteries, veins and/or smaller blood vessels.
Leading cause of death and sickness in Australia
CVD, almost 30% of deaths in 2015
coronary heart disease
the poor supply of blood to the muscular walls of the heart by its own blood supply vessels, the coronary arteries
stroke
the interruption of the supply of blood to the brain
peripheral vascular disease
diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries that affect the limbs, usually reducing blood supply to the legs.
Atherosclerosis
is the build-up of fatty and/or fibrous material on the interior walls of arteries.
atheroma
is a thickened area of fatty and fibrous deposits on the inside surface of arteries, resulting in atherosclerosis.
coronary arteries
are the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle.
Angina pectoris
refers to chest pain that occurs when the heart has an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood.
Therefore, angina is not really a disease but, rather, a symptom of oxygen deprivation.
aneurysm
is the ballooning of the arterial wall due to thinning and weakening. It often results from constant high blood pressure and can lead to a stroke.
Nature of CVD
all diseases of the circulatory system - coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure
Extent of CVD problem
1 in 5 Australians suffer from CVD
2nd Leading cause of death in aust
Death rates are slowly lowering
Are death rates for CVD lowering? Why/Why not?
Yes. improvements in medical and surgical treatments
Risk Factors for CVD (name 5)
hypertension physical inactivity obesity smoking high fat diets
Protective factors for CVD (name 5)
regular exercise regular health checks balanced diet stop smoking limit drinking/stop
Sociocultural determinants of CVD
genetics
family habits that lead to obesity/ poor health decisions
sedentary lifestyles
peers influence - smoking
Socioeconomic determinants of CVD
higher levels of education help to lower CVD incidence
education also effects employment
CVD is more prevalent in trades and labour employments which is linked to lifestyle choices
Lower health choices that are costly - eg won’t have a gym membership/ will buy cheaper but unhealthier foods
Environmental determinants of CVD
geographic location: rural/ remote areas have higher death rates from CVD because medical treatment is slower to access.
the more access you have to health services, the more likely you are to survive CVD.
availability of technology also impacts survival.
Groups most at risk for CVD
ATSI - 3x as many heart attacks as other Aust over 25
2x more likely to have a stroke.
Low SES - 40% higher death rate from CVD
Rural/ Remote -higher burden for stroke
Elderly - 70% of stroke incidents
Smokers
Men
Nature of Cancer problem in Aust
cancer is cells that have become abnormal and begin to multiply rapidly and uncontrollably. it invades tissues and causes tumours
benign tumour: cancerous or not?
not cancerous
malignant tumour: cancerous or not?
yes cancerous
what is metastasis?
when cancer moves from original site to another place around the body
Extent of cancer problem
2nd leading cause of death in aust
1 in 2 probability of getting diagnoses with cancer as a man. 1 in 3 for women
what are the main cancers in Australia?
prostate, great, lung, bowel, skin
Name 4 trends of cancer
increased incidence
increased survival
decreased death rates
increased cancer prevalence due to early detection
What is the risk of dying from cancer (men and women)
men: 1 in 4
women: 1 in 6
How much have mortality rates of cancer dropped over the last 20 years?
17%
Risk factors for cancer
Behavioural: smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity
Family History: genetics - breast cancer gene
Occupational and environmental exposures: UV radiation
Protective factors for cancer
HPV vaccine screening tests for breast cancer prostate examinations balanced diet sun-smart
Sociocultural determinants for cancer
aussie culture of being in sun
genetics inherited from family line
behavioural risk factors influenced by peers and family
Socioeconomic determinants for cancer
Low levels of education
occupational risks
Low SES
Environmental determinants for cancer
rural/ remote: higher mortality rates, lack of access to health care and exposed to UV radiation.
Groups at risk for cancer
Elderly: 70% diagnosis’s and 80% of deaths
Males: 1.4x incidence
ATSI: 10% more likely, 50% higher mortality rate
Low SES: higher incidence, higher death rate
Rural: higher death rate, lower incidence.
What is healthy ageing?
process that involves behaviour and choices that affect health positively. such as physical activity, healthy diet, socialising, contact with family.
What is the goal of healthy ageing?
to allow individuals to continue to contribute to the work force longer
decrease the pressure on health care system
Government aim with healthy ageing
prevent disease
reduce illness
maintain economic contributions
maintain social participation
How is healthy ageing achieved?
by helping people make healthy choices and developing healthy behaviours through each stage of life.
What is DALYS?
Disabled adjusted life years
Impact of increased chronic disease on health system and services
increased demand for GPs, specialists and hospitals.
increases cost, and is unsustainable at this rate.
T/F: age care has grown by 20% in the last 10 years
True
Impact of increased chronic disease on workforce:
increased demand has called for an increase in the work force.
increase in physiotherapists etc
health service practitioners are trained for age care
there is a need to improve efficiency between age care and hospitals to reduce demand of services
What is a gov organisation that promotes healthy ageing and its services?
Living longer, living better (age care reform package)
- attraction
- retention
- remuneration
- education and training
- carer development
