health of Australians

Question 1

burden of disease

Answer 1

a measure of the impact of diseases and injuries, specifically it measures the gap between current health status and ideal situation where everyone lives to an old age free of disease and disability. burden of disease is measured in a unit called the DALY

Question 2

chronic condition

Answer 2

any disease or condition that lasts a long time (usually longer than 6 months) it usually cant be cured and therefore requires ongoing treatment and management. eg. arthritis

Question 3

developed country

Answer 3

a country that has advanced adequately with regards to economy, technology and health status

Question 4

disability adjusted life years (DALY)

Answer 4

a measure of burden of disease. one DALY equals one year of healthy life lost due to premature death and time lived with illness, disease or injury.

Question 5

dynamic

Answer 5

continually changing

Question 6

health adjusted life expectancy (HALE)

Answer 6

a measure of burden of disease based on life expectancy at birth, but including an adjustment of time spent in poor health. it is the number of years in full health that a person can expect to live, based on current rates of ill health and mortality

Question 7

health indicators

Answer 7

standard statistics that are used to measure to measure and compare health status

Question 8

health status

Answer 8

an individuals or populations overall health, taking into account various aspects such as life expectancy, amount of disability and levels of disease risk factors

Question 9

hospital separation

Answer 9

episodes of hospital care that start with admission and end with transfer, discharge or death

Question 10

incidence

Answer 10

the number or rate of new cases of a disease during a specified period of time

Question 11

infirmity

Answer 11

state of being weak, lacking in strength

Question 12

ischaemic heart disease

Answer 12

a disease characterised by a blockage of blood vessles to the heart, also known as conorary heart disease

Question 13

life expectancy

Answer 13

an indication of how long a person is expected to live, it is the number of years of life remaining to a person at a particular age if current death rates do not change

Question 14

mental health

Answer 14

state of well being in which the individual reliseses his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make contributions to his/her community

Question 15

morbidity

Answer 15

refers to ill health in an individual and the levels of ill health in a population or group

Question 16

mortality

Answer 16

number of deaths caused by a disease, illness or environment factor

Question 17

mortality rate

Answer 17

the measure of the proportion of a population who die in a one year period per 100 000

Question 18

physical health

Answer 18

relates to the efficient functioning of the body and its systems and includes the physical capacity to perform tasks and physical fitness

Question 19

prevalence

Answer 19

the number or proportion of cases of a particular disease or condition present in a population at a given time

Question 20

social health

Answer 20

being able to interact with others and participate in the community in both an independent and cooperative way

Question 21

trend

Answer 21

a general change or movement in a particular direction

Question 22

under five mortality rate

Answer 22

the number of deaths of children under five years of age per 1000 live births

Question 23

years lost due to disability

Answer 23

a measure of how many healthy years of life are lost due to illness, injury or disability

Question 24

years of life lost

Answer 24

a measure of how many years of expected life are lost due to premature death

Question 25

health

Answer 25

is a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Question 26

examples of dimensions of physical health

Answer 26

• having a normal body weight for height
• having sufficent energy levels for dail tasks/physical fitness
• having normal blood glucose/cholesterol/pressure levels
• having good flexability of muscles and joints
• having a strong immune system response

Question 27

examples of dimensions of mental health

Answer 27

• level of self seteem
• acknowledging one’s abilities
• having effective coping mechanisms for stress
• level of resilience
• helping others in ones community
• being able to express ones feelings

Question 28

examples of dimensions of social health

Answer 28

• maintaining a network of friends and level of social support
• communicating effectively with others and contributing to society
• obeying the laws and rules of society
• accepting responsibilities for ones actions