How are priority issues for Australia's health identified? - IDENTIFYING PRIORITY HEALTH ISSUES Flashcards
What are the FIVE factors to do with identifying priority health issues?
- Social justice principles
- Priority population groups
- Prevalence of the condition
- Potential for prevention and early intervention
- Prevalence of condition
What are social justice principles?
Social Justice principles relate to eliminating inequity in health, promoting inclusiveness of diversity and establishing supportive environments for all Australians.
What are priority population groups?
Australia is characterised by its diversity and multiculturalism. Our population has subgroups of people who have significantly different health statuses, and these inequities reflect our diverse population.
What does the identification of priority population subgroups allow for authorities to do?
- Determine the health disadvantages of groups within the population
- Better understand the social determinants of health
- Identify the prevalence of disease and injury in specific groups
- Determine the needs of groups in relation to the principles of social justice.
What are the FOUR things that epidemiological information reveals?
- Indigenous populations have much higher death rates from heart disease, injury, respiratory diseases and diabetes.
- People from a low socioeconomic background have a higher incidence of disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking and lower use of preventative health services.
- People living in rural or isolated locations have higher death rates and a higher incidence of heart disease and injury, compared with people who reside in metropolitan areas.
- Men are at much higher risk than women of developing a number of diseases (including heart disease and lung cancer).
What is “Prevalence of condition”?
High prevalence rates of a disease indicate the health and economic burden that the disease or condition places on the community. Statistics reveal, for example that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of preventable death in Australia.
What are the cause of most illness and disease in Australians?
Poor lifestyle behaviours.
What increasingly are being viewed as the determinants of health inequities across the population?
Socioeconomic status, access to information and health services, employment status, housing, support networks and environmental infrastructure.
What is meant by “Potential for prevention and early intervention”?
Address both individual behaviours and environmental determinants. Most of the chronic diseases, injuries and mental health problems have social and individual determinants that can be modified, so prevention and early intervention may lead to improved health status.
