Health and Society

Question 1

Incidence

Answer 1

The percentage of susceptible individuals who developed a given condition/disease over a defined time period

Question 2

How can case definitions change measures of disease frequency

Answer 2

Depending on the criteria used to define a case, differing numbers of individuals within a population will qualify as having or not having a certain condition. Therefore, all statistical measures are influenced by case definition.

Question 3

What is a count?

Answer 3

Literally counting the number of people with a condition/disease etc.

Question 4

Specific rates

Answer 4

Calculated for SPECIFIC population groups

Question 5

Age adjusted rates

Answer 5

Calculated as if the age distribution among different populations were equal, enabling a fair comparison of data without skewing things

Question 6

Why are population approaches to prevention more effective than individual prevention methods in combination with population ones?

Answer 6

• They aren’t
• A combination of individual and population approaches to prevention are required for improving population health.

Question 7

What is an epidemic?

Answer 7

Higher than expected number of cases of a certain disease within a population or region compared to what would be expected.

Question 8

What is an outbreak?

Answer 8

Localised epidemic

Question 9

How do you calculate an odds ratio?

Answer 9

Sick = S, Risk factor = R

OR = (SR/SX)/(XR/XX)

Question 10

What is a primary preventative measure?

Answer 10

Whole-population promotion of healthy behaviours and environments

Question 11

What is a secondary preventative measure?

Answer 11

Screening, case finding, early detection and intervention. [For people with known risk factors/asymptomatic]

Question 12

Is notification and surveillance of disease important for prevention

Answer 12

Yes.

Question 13

Describe tertiary a preventative measure

Answer 13

• For people with established disease/disease with complication
• Designed to prevent/delay complications/hospitalisations/death

Question 14

Inequity vs inequality

Answer 14

Inequity: inequality of outcome
Inequality: equality of opportunity

Question 15

List some social determinants of health

Answer 15

• Age
• Sex
• Individual lifestyle factors
• Social and community networks
• Living and working conditions
• Socioeconomic factors
• Politics and values

Question 16

What is public health?

Answer 16

• Efforts organised by society to protect, promote and restore health

Question 17

Demographic transition

Answer 17

Poor development: high birth/death rates
Good development: low birth/mortality rates

Question 18

Epidemiological transition

Answer 18

Change from higher mortality rate in childhood due to disease and poor quality of life to more deaths occurring due to chronic disease.

Question 19

What is health promotion?

Answer 19

Enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health