Public Health Data

Question 1

What is a disadvantage of info politics?

Answer 1

The data presented isn’t criticised, so is therefore not precise

Question 2

What is ‘Health Data’?

Answer 2

Any property considered to be relevant to the health of an individual- it can also be measured, such as post codes or smokers

Question 3

What is the scope of health data?

Answer 3

Looking/observing data e.g., for an individual
Can only look at one person, therefore isn’t useful looking at interactive features

Question 4

What is the population in regards to health data?

Answer 4

A scaled up scope, therefore not just looking at individuals but also behaviours

Question 5

What is an example of an ecological factor?

Answer 5

Proximity to green space

Question 6

What is a disadvantage of using a population?

Answer 6

Loose precision, but can observe interactive behaviours

Question 7

What is a disadvantage of observing an individual?

Answer 7

The data only supports the individual, and so isn’t relevant for the population

Question 8

What are some criticisms of health data and population data?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is the purpose of health data measurements?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

How can the normal range be found?

Answer 10

The normal range is found by statistically plotting the range taken from multiple people in the population

Question 11

Why is the usefulness of the normal range limited?

Answer 11

In specialist populations the normal range becomes useless, as of individual nuances

Question 12

How can individuals be used for accuracy in health data?

Answer 12

Individuals can be used to take measurements from, so therefore if enough measurements are taken then personal ranges can be found for normality

Question 13

What are the different types of data that can be collected?

Answer 13

Qualitative data and quantitative data

Question 14

What is qualitative data?

Answer 14

Data that is descriptive, and so will have categories, (yes/no data to some extent if they are closed questions)

Question 15

What is quantitative data?

Answer 15

Numerical data, and will consist of counts

Question 16

What will the use of quantitative data lead to?

Answer 16

Diagnosis of diseases or identifying the risk of a disease developing, as it measure the level of exposure

Question 17

How can the data be collected?

Answer 17

Surveys, questionnaires, cameras, written, health records,. etc.

Question 18

What are some key features of health data that can be identified from it?

Answer 18

Trends and patterns
Distribution of diseases
Anomalies (edge cases)
Normal distribution

Question 19

How can normal distribution be identified on a graph?

Answer 19

The bell shaped curve/ centre of the peak

Question 20

Why do surveys have questionable accuracy?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Is public health data accessible?

Answer 21

Hospitals can access health data, but outsiders need permission

Question 22

What is needed for a hospital record?

Answer 22

An address therefore, if the individual continues to change their residence then they will have inaccurate health data

Question 23

What does population data tell us?

Answer 23

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)

Question 24

What is the definition of epidemiology?

Answer 24

The study of the distribution and determinants of disease

Question 25

What are the three important dimensions required when describing disease?

Answer 25

Time
Person
Place

Question 26

What are some examples of determinants of disease?

Answer 26

Genetics
Place
Microbes

Question 27

What does burden of disease mean?

Answer 27

The loss due to disease via disability, resources and impact on people around you

Question 28

What does incidence mean?

Answer 28

The number of new cases appearing in a population in a specific period

Question 29

What does mortality mean?

Answer 29

The number of deaths occurring in a population in a specific period

Question 30

What does prevalence mean?

Answer 30

The number of new cases and existing cases over a population in a specified period

Question 31

How long does the burden of disease last?

Answer 31

As long as the disease lasts

Question 32

How can you compare areas?

Answer 32

By calculating an incident rate

Question 33

How can you calculate the rate?

Answer 33

Incidence Rate= (Number of new cases)/(Number of people at risk over same time period)

Question 34

Which form is prevalence often expressed in?

Answer 34

A percentage

Question 35

How is the prevalence rate calculated?

Answer 35

Prevalence Rate= (Prevalence)/(Population at risk)