Key Concepts of Public Health

Question 1

What is health?

Answer 1

state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity

Question 2

What is public health?

Answer 2

the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organized efforts of society

Question 3

Describe the public health approach?

Answer 3

1. surveillance - what is the problem 2. risk factor idenitification - what is the cause 3. intervention evaluation - what works 4. implementation - how do you do it

Question 4

Name the measures used to prevent disease?

Answer 4

1. surveillance 2. public health regulation 3. primary prevention 4. health education

Question 5

Name the measures used to prolong life?

Answer 5

1. secondary prevention - disease screening 2. medical treatment 3. rehabilitation

Question 6

Name the measures used to promote health?

Answer 6

1. Reduce health inequalities
2. Supporting community development
3. Supporting healthy lifestyles
4. Health promoting public health policies

Question 7

How do you assess risk and occurrence of disease?

Answer 7

1. measurement of disease frequency 2. characterize, describe pattern or distribution of disease 3. quantify risk of disease

Question 8

How do you measure the disease frequency?

Answer 8

1. prevalence - total number of individuals in a population who have a disease or health condition at a specific perior of time 2. incidence - measure of the probability of occurrence of a given medical condition in a population within a specified period of time

Question 9

How do you describe the distribution of disease?

Answer 9

1. perosn 2. place 3. time

Question 10

How do you quantify the risk of disease?

Answer 10

1. relative risk - the ratio of the probability of an outcome in an exposed group to the probability of an outcome in an unexposed group (measures the association between the exposure and the outcome) 2. odds ratio - measure of association between an exposure and outcome that will occur given a particular exposure compared to the odds of the outcome occuring in the absence of that exposure

Question 11

What are the essential public health services?

Answer 11

1. Monitor Health 2. Diagnose and Investigate 3. Inform 4. Educate 5. Empower 6. Mobilize Community Partnership 7. Develop Policies 8. Enforce Laws 9. Link to/Provide Care 10. Assure a Competent Workforce 11. Evaluate 12. Research