Outcome 1

Question 1

Health

Answer 1

‘A complete state of physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ (WHO, 1946)

Question 2

Health status

Answer 2

‘An individual’s or a population’s overall health, taking into account various aspects such as life expectancy, amount of disability and levels of disease risk factors.’ (AIHW, 2008)

Question 3

Health adjusted life expectancy (HALE)

Answer 3

A measure of burden of disease based on life expectancy at birth, but including an adjustment for time spent in poor health. It is the number of years in full health that a person can expect to live, based on current rates of ill health and mortality.

Question 4

Disability adjusted life expectancy (DALY)

Answer 4

A measure of burden of disease, one DALY equals one year of healthy life lost due to premature death and time lived with illness, disease or injury.

Question 5

Life expectancy

Answer 5

‘An indication of how long a person can expect live, it is the number of years of life remaining to a person at a particular age if death rates do not change.’

Question 6

Under 5 mortality rate

Answer 6

The rate of deaths occurring in children under 5 years of age per 1000 live births.

Question 7

Mortality

Answer 7

Deaths in a population

Question 8

Morbidity

Answer 8

Refers to ill-health in an individual and the levels of ill-health in a population or group.

Question 9

Prevalence

Answer 9

‘The number or proportion of cases of a particular disease
or condition present in a population at a given time.’
(AIHW, 2008

Question 10

Social dimension of health

Answer 10

Being able to interact with others and participate in the community in both an independent and cooperative way.

Question 11

Mental dimension of health

Answer 11

‘State of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.’ (WHO, 2009)

Question 12

Physical dimension of health

Answer 12

Relates to the efficient functioning of the body and its systems, and includes the physical capacity to perform tasks and physical fitness.

Question 13

Determinants of health

Answer 13

‘Factors that raise or lower a level of health in a population or individual. Determinants of health help to explain or predict trends in health and why some groups have better or worse health than others.’ Determinants can be classified in many ways such as biological, behavioural and social. (AIHW, 2006).

Question 14

Biological determinants

Answer 14

Factors relating to the body that impact on health, such

as genetics, hormones, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, birth weight.

Question 15

Behavioural determinants

Answer 15

Actions or patterns of living of an individual or a group that impact on health, such as smoking, sexual activity, participation in physical activity, eating practices.

Question 16

Social determinants

Answer 16

Aspects of society and the social environment that impact on health, such as poverty, early life experiences, social networks and support.

Question 17

Biomedical model of health

Answer 17

Focuses on the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness. It is a medical model of care practised by doctors and/or health professional and is associated with the diagnosis, cure and treatment of disease.

Question 18

Social model of health

Answer 18

A conceptual framework within which improvements in health and wellbeing are achieved by directing effort towards addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. The model is based on the understanding that in order for health gains to occur, social, economic and environmental determinants must be addressed.

Question 19

Burden of disease

Answer 19

A measure of the impact of diseases and injuries, specifically it measures the gap between current health status and an ideal situation where everyone lives to an old age free of disease and disability. Burden of disease is measured in a unit called the DALY.

Question 20

What is the health status of males and females? Why?

Answer 20

Males have lower life expectancy, higher blood pressure &abloom cholesterol, higher levels of overweight and skin cancer, more likely to die from accidents, violence and suicide.
Why?
Risk taking behaviour, more aggressive (testosterone, less able to talk issues through, dangerous work place, ignore warning signs, less likely to attend doctors.

Question 21

What is the health status of higher and lower economic groups? Why?

Answer 21

Lower SES groups have: lower life expectancy by about 3 years, higher u5mr, higher rates or mortality, morbidity, disability, CVD, lung cancer, type 2 diabetes and injury.
Why?
Food, water, housing, education, employment and medical care available in australia

Question 22

What is the health status of rural and remote locations? Why?

Answer 22

Lower life expectancy, higher mortality rates, higher rates of preventable cancers, higher death rates from CVD, higher rates of avoidable deaths, higher rates of diabetes and higher rates of dental disease.
Why?
Two thirds of the Australian population lives in major cities, therefore have many goods and services available to them. Those who live in rural and remote areas have greater the risk to health, purely due to the distance to access resources.
These include: poorer access to foods, petrol and other goods, less medical facilities, greater distance to travel and poor quality roads, harsher climate, fewer employment options, lower levels of physical activity.

Question 23

What is the health status for the indigenous population? Why?

Answer 23

Life expectancy is 11 year less than non-indigenous, increased rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disorder and heart disease, higher levels of infant mortality & low birth weight babies, increased rate of morbidity, death from injury is 3 times higher.
Why?
Indigenous adults drink less the non-indigenous adults but those that do, drink to more dangerous levels, higher levels of tobacco use, higher obesity rates, poor dietary intake, lower vaccination rates, higher unemployment rates, social exclusion.

Question 24

What are some examples of biological determinants of health?

Answer 24

Body weight
Blood pressure levels
Blood cholesterol levels
Glucose regulation
Genetics, including sex
Birth weight

Question 25

What are some examples of behavioural determinants of health?

Answer 25

Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, physical activity levels, dietary behaviours, sexual behaviours, vaccination behaviour, risk-taking behaviour

Question 26

What are some examples of physical environment determinants of health?

Answer 26

Housing
Work environment
Urban design and infrastructure
Air quality
Climate and climate change

Question 27

What are some examples of social determinants of health?

Answer 27

Socioeconomic status (SES)
Work and unemployment
Social exclusion and social isolation
Stress
Food security
Early life experiences
Access to health care and heal services

Question 28

Syndrome X

Answer 28

(Also called metabolic syndrome) when a person exhibits a range of factors that increase their risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Eg. Abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and insulin resistance.

Question 29

Hypertension

Answer 29

High blood pressure

Question 30

Physical environment

Answer 30

The physical surroundings in which we live, work and play. The physical environment includes water and air, workplaces, housing, roads, nature, schools, recreation settings and exposure to hazards.

Question 31

Socioeconomic status

Answer 31

The social standing of an individual in comparison to others in that society. It is based on education, income and occupation.

Question 32

What are some ways of measuring health status?

Answer 32

Life expectancy
Mortality
Morbidity
Burden of disease
U5MR
Infant mortality