Public Health and Ethics

Question 1

define health, according to WHO

Answer 1

complete physical, mental and social wellbeing
not just the absence of disease
positive concept emphasising social and personal resources as well as physical abilities

Question 2

compare the biomedical and social model of disease?

Answer 2

biomedical
- physical and biological factors of disease - can be repaired
- only health professionals practice it
- focus on diagnosis, cure and treatment of disease - solution found in technologies
- mind/ body dualism (suggests they ca be treated separately)
- knowledge is objective - neutral and distinct from social factors

social
- gives thought to a wide range of factors
- wide range of people can practice
- focus on prevention
- challenges mind/ body dualism
- knowledge is not objective - we are taught how to see the body

Question 3

name three theories of health

Answer 3

health as an ideal state
health as a state of social functioning
health as a personal strength or ability

Question 4

describe the theory of ‘health as an ideal state’

Answer 4

goal of perfect wellbeing (WHO definition)
disease, illness, forms of handicap and social problems must be absent in order for health to be present

Question 5

problems with the theory of ‘health as an ideal state’

Answer 5

is anyone ever healthy?
what is complete wellbeing?
can we ever attain this ideal state?
misleading?

Question 6

describe the theory of ‘health as a state of social functioning’

Answer 6

health is a means towards social functioning
can still be healthy (function socially) even when suffering with a chronic illness/ disease

Question 7

problems with the theory of ‘health as a state of social functioning’

Answer 7

very narrow definition seeing health as the opposite of disease
patients normal state may be unhealthy
refusal of treatment might be seen as healthy

Question 8

describe the theory of ‘health as a personal strength or ability’

Answer 8

focus on how people respond to challenges
humanist
responding positively to challenges

Question 9

problems with the theory of ‘health as a personal strength or ability’

Answer 9

vague
how can we intervene?

Question 10

define illness

Answer 10

the social, lived experience of symptoms and suffering

Question 11

define disease

Answer 11

technical malfunction or deviation from the norm which is scientifically diagnosed

Question 12

describe the Culver and Gert theory of disease and illness

Answer 12

aggregate of condition, judged by a culture, deemed painful or disabling, and which deviate from statistical norm or some idealised status

Question 13

give a limitation of the Culver and Gert theory of disease and illness

Answer 13

state of the organism, which is currently losing a battle with temperature, water, micro-organisms, disappointment etc
disruption of homeostasis
visualised as the reaction to an energy impact (addition or deprivation)

Question 14

describe the Peery and Miller theory of disease and illness

Answer 14

disturbance of the structure or function of the body
imbalance between the individual and his environment

Question 15

describe the biomedical model of disease and illness

Answer 15

more disease = poorer health
problems can be resolved by remedies, therefore health is something that exists outside of the person

Question 16

which model of disease and illness was used to inspire governments to invest in health services?

Answer 16

biomedical

Question 17

problems with the biomedical model of disease?

Answer 17

not all problems can be solved with a remedy
suggests solution is with the medical practitioner not the individual
risk of mysicism - regain something we’ve lost as a result of personal or social failing

Question 18

what is the sick role?

Answer 18

illness is harmful to social functioning, thus it allows a legitimate deviance from social obligation
only a doctor can determine if someone can enter the sick role

Question 19

components of the sick role

Answer 19

• individual is except from normal social roles
• individual is not responsible for their condition
• individual should try and get well
• individual should seek help and cooperate with medical professionals

Question 20

criticisms of the sick role

Answer 20

• failure to account for conflict
• cannot account for social change - patients are not as passive and more active in their care; patient-doctor relationship is not as symmetrical
• people with chronic conditions remain in a deviant state

Question 21

what is sociology?

Answer 21

study of social relations and social processes
social relations - bonds between people and groups of people
social processes - direct human actions result from collective human actions

Question 22

what is functionalism?

Answer 22

suggests that health is the state of optimum capacity of an individual for being effective at the tasks required by then for society
illness could be a state of social deviance - failure to conform to norms

Question 23

what is the social paradox?

Answer 23

diseases can be caused by social factors e.g lifestyle but treated with biological interventions

Question 24

what is the medicalisation hypothesis?

Answer 24

professionals see problems in terms of their own profession, thus doctors see everything medically
problems that seem medical could be products of social forces

Question 25

what is iatrogenesis?

Answer 25

the unintended adverse effects of a therapeutic intervention
can be clinical, social or cultural

Question 26

determinants of health

Answer 26

genetic, culture, lifestyle, social or community networks,
lifestyle - smoking, obesity, excess alcohol, sedentary lifestyle

Question 27

describe the health belief model

Answer 27

social psychological health behavior change model developed to explain and predict health-related behaviors

Question 28

name the 4 facets of the health belief model

Answer 28

• perceived susceptibility
• perceived barriers
• benefits
• self-efficacy

Question 29

define health behaviour

Answer 29

aimed to prevent disease

Question 30

define illness behaviour

Answer 30

aimed to seek remedy

Question 31

define sick role behaviour

Answer 31

aimed to get well

Question 32

describe the role of public health

Answer 32

improve health protection and promotion in a population
preventing ill health and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society
can be local, regional, national or international
maximising health gain in a population

Question 33

name the three domains of public health

Answer 33

health protection, health improvement/ promotion, improving services

Question 34

name features of health protection

Answer 34

infectious diseases, chemicals and poisons, radiation, emergency response, environmental health hazards

Question 35

name features of health improvement/ promotion

Answer 35

lifestyles, inequalities, education, housing, employment, family/ community

Question 36

name features of improving services

Answer 36

clinical effectiveness, efficiency, service planning, audit and evaluation, clinical governance, equity