LECTURE 1 (The science of public health)

Question 1

What is Public Health?

Answer 1

The science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised community efforts

Question 2

What is the difference between doctors and public health workers?

Answer 2

Doctors = treat those that are sick

Public health workers = Prevent people from getting sick/injured in the first place

Question 3

What is Health?

Answer 3

Health is not only the absence of disease but also a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being

Question 4

What are the three core functions of public health?

Answer 4

• Assessment
• Policy development
• Assurance

Question 5

What are the 10 Essential Public Health Services?

Answer 5

1) MONITOR HEALTH STATUS to identify community health problems (ASSESSMENT)
2) DIAGNOSE and INVESTIGATE health problems and health hazards in the community (ASSESSMENT)
3) INFORM, EDUCATE and EMPOWER people about health issues (POLICY DEVELOPMENT)
4) MOBILISE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS to identify and solve health problems (POLICY DEVELOPMENT)
5) DEVELOP POLICIES AND PLANS that support individual and community health efforts (POLICY DEVELOPMENT)
6) ENFORCE LAWS AND REGULATIONS that protect health and ensure safety (ASSURANCE)
7) LINK PEOPLE TO NEEDED PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable (ASSURANCE)
8) ASSURE A COMPETENT public health and personal healthcare workforce (ASSURANCE)
9) Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population-based health services (ASSURANCE)
10) RESEARCH for innovative solutions to health problems

Question 6

Which six areas can the disciplines of public health be divided into?

Answer 6

• Epidemiology
• Statistics
• Biomedical sciences
• Social and behavioural sciences
• Environmental sciences
• Health management and policy

Question 7

What is Epidemiology?

Answer 7

The study of populations to find the causes of health and disease and is important in finding the causes of new diseases and preventing the spread of old diseases

Question 8

What is Statistics?

Answer 8

The discipline that collects and analyses data, finds causation and calculates probabilities

Question 9

What is Biomedical Science?

Answer 9

The study of the biological basis of human health and disease including genetics, immunology, infectious diseases, chronic diseases and molecular approaches to treatment

Question 10

What is Environmental health science?

Answer 10

Concerned with preventing the spread of disease through water, air and food

Question 11

What are the main disciplines of the social sciences?

Answer 11

• Anthropology
• Economics
• History
• Political science
• Sociology

Question 12

What is behavioural sciences?

Answer 12

Concerned with the study of the actions of humans and understands, predicts and influences human behaviour

Question 13

What are the main disciplines of behavioural sciences?

Answer 13

• Anthropology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Question 14

What is the Five-step process of Public health’s approach to health problems?

Answer 14

1) Define the health problem
2) Identify the risk factors associated with the problem
3) Set the plans (develop and test community-level interventions to control or prevent the cause of the problem)
4) Implement interventions
5) Monitor interventions/assess effectiveness

Question 15

What are the three levels of prevention?

Answer 15

1) Primary prevention
2) Secondary prevention
3) Tertiary prevention

Question 16

What is Primary Prevention?

Answer 16

Prevents and illness or injury from occurring at all by preventing exposure to risk factors

e.g immunisations, encourage smokers to quit

Question 17

What is Secondary Prevention?

Answer 17

Minimises the severity of the illness or the damage due to an injury-causing event once the event has occurred

e.g screening programs, minimising the risk of progression of disease

Question 18

What is Tertiary Prevention?

Answer 18

Minimises disability by providing medical care and rehabilitation services

e.g medical treatment/rehabilitation of cancer patients

Question 19

What is involved in the epidemiological triad?

Answer 19

• An agent
• A host
• Environment

Question 20

How is prevention accomplished?

Answer 20

By interrupting the chain of causation at any step

e.g use of antibiotics, purification of water/food

Question 21

Public health relies on the tools of __________ and ____________

Answer 21

Science & Politics