Environment, health and well-being

Question 1

Name the 4 environmental variables that affects diseases

Answer 1

Latitude & climate, air pollution, topography, overcrowding

Question 2

How does latitude and climate affect diseases?

Answer 2

position determines climate
warmer closer to equator= malaria, dengue fever
cooler closer to poles= hypothermia, influenza

Question 3

How does air pollution affect diseases?

Answer 3

urban- industry and transport rural- tobacco and fuels

improving air quality lowers= strokes, asthma, lung cancer

Question 4

How does topography affect diseases?

Answer 4

drainage conditions- cholera, diarrhea (2 million die annually), sadomasochist (water parasites)
oxygen- high altitude, mountain sickness,

Question 5

How does overcrowding affect diseases?

Answer 5

unsanitary living conditions- acute respiratory infections, meningitis

Question 6

What is a disease of affluence?

Answer 6

illnesses caused by wealthier lifestyle

Question 7

What is health, mortality, morbidity?

Answer 7

Health= state of being free from illness or injury
Mortality= measure of death rates
Morbidity= How often a disease or poor health occurs in specific areas

Question 8

What is HALE?

Answer 8

Healthy life expectancy
av. no. years an individual lives in full health
USA, Europe, Australia= 70+
SS Africa= less than 50 years

Question 9

What is DALY?

Answer 9

Disability adjusted life years
gap between current and ideal levels of health (one DALY= one fewer year of healthy life)
=years of life lost due to early death + years lost due to disability

Question 10

UK top illnesses

Sierra Leone top illnesses

Answer 10

UK=CHD 17%, Stroke 11%

SL= Pneumonia 13%, malnutrition 5%

Question 11

How air quality and health links

Answer 11

88% of premature deaths occurring in developing countries- more affected by it
demand actions for authorities and policy makers supporting clean industry- lowers burden of disease (stroke, heart disease, asthma, lung cancer)

Question 12

How water quality and health links

Answer 12

e.g. diarrhoeal- cholera- caused by bacteria and chemicals in water people drink, malaria
nearly 800 million people live without safe water
500000+ children die each year from diarrhea cause by unsafe water and poor sanitation
attempts at managing water supplies- dam reconstruction- leads to adverse health effects- 4% of global disease burden