Public Health Data Flashcards
What is a disadvantage of info politics?
The data presented isn’t criticised, so is therefore not precise
What is ‘Health Data’?
Any property considered to be relevant to the health of an individual- it can also be measured, such as post codes or smokers
What is the scope of health data?
Looking/observing data e.g., for an individual
Can only look at one person, therefore isn’t useful looking at interactive features
What is the population in regards to health data?
A scaled up scope, therefore not just looking at individuals but also behaviours
What is an example of an ecological factor?
Proximity to green space
What is a disadvantage of using a population?
Loose precision, but can observe interactive behaviours
What is a disadvantage of observing an individual?
The data only supports the individual, and so isn’t relevant for the population
What are some criticisms of health data and population data?
Health data can be chosen based on how it looks and why, so can mislead the public
Population data can be useful out of context, but isn’t always applicable to an individual
What is the purpose of health data measurements?
To see whether an individual falls outside of a normal range, or has a characteristic that increases the individual’s risk of developing a disease
How can the normal range be found?
The normal range is found by statistically plotting the range taken from multiple people in the population
Why is the usefulness of the normal range limited?
In specialist populations the normal range becomes useless, as of individual nuances
How can individuals be used for accuracy in health data?
Individuals can be used to take measurements from, so therefore if enough measurements are taken then personal ranges can be found for normality
What are the different types of data that can be collected?
Qualitative data and quantitative data
What is qualitative data?
Data that is descriptive, and so will have categories, (yes/no data to some extent if they are closed questions)
What is quantitative data?
Numerical data, and will consist of counts
What will the use of quantitative data lead to?
Diagnosis of diseases or identifying the risk of a disease developing, as it measure the level of exposure
How can the data be collected?
Surveys, questionnaires, cameras, written, health records,. etc.
What are some key features of health data that can be identified from it?
Trends and patterns
Distribution of diseases
Anomalies (edge cases)
Normal distribution
How can normal distribution be identified on a graph?
The bell shaped curve/ centre of the peak
Why do surveys have questionable accuracy?
They cannot be taken in as representative as they may not be accurate
Surveys need to be completed by participants who consent and agree; not all the population is needed so its class bias
Is public health data accessible?
Hospitals can access health data, but outsiders need permission
What is needed for a hospital record?
An address therefore, if the individual continues to change their residence then they will have inaccurate health data
What does population data tell us?
Emerging problems and who might be most at risk – useful information for both diagnostics and treatment
Generate hypotheses of factors causing disease (through looking at associations)
Where to target resources (using data on prevalence, vulnerable groups or key contributing factors)
How control measures are working (using trend data from studies on the health issue, or qualitative data from healthcare settings)
What is the definition of epidemiology?
The study of the distribution and determinants of disease
What are the three important dimensions required when describing disease?
Time
Person
Place
What are some examples of determinants of disease?
Genetics
Place
Microbes
What does burden of disease mean?
The loss due to disease via disability, resources and impact on people around you
What does incidence mean?
The number of new cases appearing in a population in a specific period
What does mortality mean?
The number of deaths occurring in a population in a specific period
What does prevalence mean?
The number of new cases and existing cases over a population in a specified period
How long does the burden of disease last?
As long as the disease lasts
How can you compare areas?
By calculating an incident rate
How can you calculate the rate?
Incidence Rate= (Number of new cases)/(Number of people at risk over same time period)
Which form is prevalence often expressed in?
A percentage
How is the prevalence rate calculated?
Prevalence Rate= (Prevalence)/(Population at risk)