PDHPE Flashcards
MEASURING HEALTH STATUS
ROLE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
Epidemiology is the study of disease within populations, focusing on its prevalence, incidence, and patterns. It helps identify measures to reduce disease occurrence and guides evidence-based health decisions. Epidemiological data informs health promotion, policy, and expenditure by assessing current and future health needs.
What is INCIDENCE ?
Is the number or proportion of new cases arising in a particular population within a given period.
What is PREVALENCE?
The number or proportion of people within a disease in a population at a given point in time.
What is MORTALITY?
The number of people within a population who have died within a given year.
EPIDEMIOLOGY INDICATORS
What is LIFE EXPECTANCY?
The average number of years a person is expected to live.
What is INFANT MORTALITY?
The death rate for those under of 1 years within a population.
What is MORBIDITY?
The measure of disease or disability rates within a given population.
What can epidemiology tell us?
> Health status of a population
Trends in disease
Prevalence and incidences of disease
Death, birth, illness and injury rates
Treatments provided, hospital usage
Expenditure for consumer and government
Who uses this data?
> Government
Researchers
Health dept officials
Health or medical practitioners
LIMITATIONS of epidemiology
> Reasons why people takes risks
Various amongst sub populations
Impact of illness on quality of life
Data is incomplete or non-existent
Why inequalities exist
Contributing factors
Morbidity measures and indicators include:
What is HOSPITAL USE?
The cause and number of admissions into hospitals. The causes of hospital use indicates the major reasons for our ill health as a nation
What is DOCTOR VISITS & MEDICAL STATISTICS?
Indicates the number/reason of visits. Also provides number of absent days off work.
What are HEALTH SURVEYS/REPORTS?
Provides a range of key health indicators and brings together an extensive range of health information.
What is DISABILITY or HANDICAP
Disability can be in terms of self care, morbidity, verbal communication, school and /or employment.
First Leading causes of death for men (2022)
What causes it
1) Coronary Heart Disease - 11,303
> high blood pressure
> obesity
> smoking
Second Leading causes of death for men (2022)
What causes it
2) Dementia - 6,130
> Alcohol
> Head Trauma
> Depression
Third Leading causes of death for men (2022)
What causes it
3) COVID19 - 5,484
> infection
Fourth Leading causes of death for men (2022)
What causes it
4) Lung Cancer - 5,145
> smoking
> family history
Fifth Leading causes of death for men (2022)
What causes it
5) Cerebrovascular Disease - 4,316
> Blood clot
First Leading causes of death for Females (2022)
1) Dementia - 10,976
Second Leading causes of death for Females (2022)
2) Coronary Heart disease - 7,340
Third Leading causes of death for Females (2022)
3) Cerebrovascular Disease - 5,513
Fourth Leading causes of death for Females (2022)
4) COVID19 - 4,375
Fifth Leading causes of death for Females (2022)
5) Lung Cancer - 3,903
Identifying Priority Health Issues
What are the 3 SOCIAL JUSTICE PRINCIPLES (SED)
S - Supportive environment
> supporting others in achieving optimal health, providing products everyone can afford
E - Equity
> resources are allocated fairly so all Australians have the opportunity to have their health needs met
D - Diversity
> Providing translation services to the growing migrant population
What is Priority Population Groups?
Epidemiology identifies population groups suffering increased rates of illness and disease.
E.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
what is Prevalence of Condition?
Rates and trends of morbidity and mortality highlight health problems and concerns and the allocation of funding and resources. E.g. the decrease in deaths from CVD
Potential for Prevention and Early Intervention
If a health issue can be prevented through changes in lifestyle, then health promotion in this area is
likely to improve outcomes. E.g. of diseases that have high potential for being prevented include: Type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity.
Costs of the Individual and Community
Direct costs – money spent on diagnosing, treating and caring for the sick and the money spent of prevention
For eg: hospital admissions, scans
Indirect costs – the value of the output lost when people become too ill to work or die prematurely For eg: cost
of forgone earnings, replacement of workers
GROUPS EXPERIENCING HEALTH INEQUALITIES
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
(ATSI)
> ATSI people experience health inequalities in all areas of health (infant mortality, life experience, morbidity, mortality), they have the largest health gap in all population groups across Australia.
> Because they experience such inequalities, they are identified as priority population groups this means that the government will invest in health promotions specific to the needs of the group.
> The ultimate goal is to improve health for all Australians by ensuring that it is equitable and accessible.
The nature and extent of health inequalities
> Males born in 2020-2022 can expect to live up to 71.9
Females are expected to live up to 75.6
In 2017-2021 the death rates amongst first nations infants and children aged 0-4 was 5.3 per 1000 live births and 145 deaths per 100,000 children
Sociocultural
> Increased domestic violence
Disempowerment
Decreased income affects family life
47% single parent homes
Socioeconomic
> Less than 2/3 working age population employed
Low income
Decreased rates of education completion
Environmental
> Isolation leads to lack of access
Longer waiting times due to decreased services
Lack of health literacy due to low levels of education
Determinants
- Levels of educational attainment among FNP have improved substantially over the past decade:
> Between 2011-2021 the proportion of FNP aged 20-24 who had attended at least a year 12 equivalent increased from 52% - 68% - Employment rates for FNP increased in the past 5 years:
> Between 2016-2021, the employment rate for FNP aged 25-64 increased by 4.7% points from 51.0% - 55.7%
INDIVIDUALS
> Empowerment
Increased protective behaviour
COMMUNITIES
> Involved in design and implementation of health initiations
Aboriginal medical services e.g. ACCHS
GOVERNMENT
> Close the gap initiative
Indigenous Chronic disease package
The nature and extent of health inequalities
> Increased mortality rate
Decreased life expectancy
Increased youth suicide
Increased kidney disease
Increases chronic disease
Rural and Remote
Outcomes
Around 34% of Australians live in rural or remote areas, where health outcomes are generally worse than in urban areas, with higher mortality and illness rates. However, not everyone in these regions has poor health, and the poorer health of Indigenous Australians contributes to the higher rates
Outcomes
Data shows that people living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisations, death and injury and also have poorer access to primary health care services, then people living in major cities
People living in rural and remote areas are more likely to:
> Be smokers
Drink in large quantities
Be overweight or obese
Be physically inactive
Lower level of education
Have poorer access to medical specialist
Risky occupations
Have higher risks on roads due to long distance traveled
