Introduction to Public Health and epidemiology Flashcards
What are the key functions of public health, and how are they defined ?
Health Protection: Safeguarding populations from health threats, e.g., disease outbreaks, environmental hazards, and unsafe food.
Health Promotion: Encouraging healthy lifestyles through education and interventions, e.g., anti-smoking campaigns, vaccination programs.
Disease Prevention: Reducing disease occurrence through strategies like screenings, vaccinations, and early diagnosis.
Surveillance and Monitoring: Collecting and analyzing health data to identify trends and guide policy decisions.
Policy Development: Creating evidence-based policies to address public health challenges, such as pandemic preparedness.
What are public health approaches, and how are they implemented?
Public health approaches are strategies to improve population health. Key approaches include:
Population-Based Approach: Focuses on entire communities to address broad issues (e.g., sanitation, air quality). Example: Fluoridating water supplies to improve dental health.
High-Risk Approach: Targets individuals or groups at higher risk for specific conditions. Example: Offering diabetes management programs for obese individuals.
Preventative Approach: Focused on prevention across three levels:
Primary Prevention: Preventing disease onset (e.g., vaccinations).
Secondary Prevention: Early detection and intervention (e.g., cancer screenings).
Tertiary Prevention: Reducing impact of existing conditions (e.g., rehabilitation).
What are the determinants of health, and how do they influence outcomes?
Determinants of health are factors affecting an individual’s or population’s health. They include:
Biological factors
Social and economic factors
Environmental factors
Behavioural factors
Healthcare access
What is epidemiology ?
Epidemiology is the study of how diseases are distributed in populations and the factors influencing their distribution.
What are the key terms of epidemiology ?
Incidence: Number of new cases of a disease in a population over a specific period. Example: Annual incidence of diabetes in a city.
Prevalence: Total number of cases (new + existing) in a population at a specific time.
Example: Prevalence of HIV in a country.
Morbidity: The state of being diseased or the rate of disease in a population.
Mortality: The rate of death in a population.
Example: Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births.
Risk Factor: A characteristic that increases disease likelihood, e.g., smoking for lung cancer.
What is the epidemiological triangle, and how is it used in public health?
The epidemiological triangle is a model for explaining disease causation, focusing on the interactions between three components:
Agent: The cause of the disease (e.g., virus, bacteria, toxin).
Host: The individual affected, including factors like genetics, immunity, and behaviors.
Environment: External factors facilitating disease spread, e.g., climate, sanitation.
