lifestyle factors and respiratory disease

Question 1

what do upper respiratory tract infections account for?

Answer 1

• 50% of all acute illnesses and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide

Question 2

what is the most common URI? 2

Answer 2

• colds caused by rhinoviruses and account for 30-50% of adult colds
• the economic impact of the common cold is enormous , it has direct or indirect costs

Question 3

how many colds do children have a year?

adults?

Answer 3

• 6 a year

- 2-3 colds a year

Question 4

how many people exposed to a cold virus will develop a cold?

Answer 4

1/3

Question 5

how does being physically cold affect your likelihood to show cold symptoms? 3

Answer 5

• acute cooling of the body surface causes reflex vasoconstriction in the upper airways which inhibits your respiratory defence
• onset of common cold symptoms can cause conversion of asymptomatic subclinical infection to symptomatic
• some studies agree with this link and some dismiss it

Question 6

how can sleep affect your likelihood of showing common cold symptoms? 2

Answer 6

• link between sleep duration and development of a cold

- link between sleep efficiency and development of a cold

Question 7

explain the link between socioeconomic status? 2

Answer 7

• increased SES is associated with decreased risk of colds

- poorer sleep and health behaviours among lower SES mediate association between subjective SES and colds

Question 8

explain the importance of behaviour of people with people with colds? 3

Answer 8

• hand washing cuts risk of respiratory infection by 16%
• psychological interventions to promote hand washing can reduce respiratory disease
• alcohol dispensers installed leads to an increase in hand hygiene behaviour and a significant reduction in symptoms

Question 9

what can cause exercise induced asthma? 4

Answer 9

• maternal smoking in pregnancy
• maternal anxiety
• smoking in the home
• violence in the home

Question 10

how does stress affect asthma?

Answer 10

exacerbate symptoms

Question 11

describe lifestyle factors affect lung cancer? 4

Answer 11

• 7% of male and 5% of female deaths
• dose-response effects linking number of cigarettes, depth of inhalation to greater risk of lung cancer
• over 90% of lung cancer could be avoided if all smokers quit
• other causes include exposure to asbestos, radon gas and other radioactive substances

Question 12

name some smoking cessation methods? 6

Answer 12

• nicotine replacement
• bupropion
• smoking cessation groups
• buddy systems
• hypnotherapy
• self help