SAC 2 Flashcards
What is public health?
- organised response by society to protect and promote H&W
- prevent illness, injury and disability
- Australian Governments acting to improve public health
What is old public health?
- first public measures focussed on addressing the physical environment once it was understood that bacteria and poor hygiene were a major cause of infectious diseases
- actions that focus on changing the physical environment to prevent the spread of disease
What is the biomedical approach to health?
- focuses on the biological aspects of disease and illness
- produced by health professional and is associated with diagnosis, treatment and cure of disease
- “band aid” approach as it doesn’t look at causes
- aim is to return the patient to their “pre-illness” health
- relies heavily on healthcare practicians
- focused on individuals
Advantages of biomedical approach to health
- extends life expectancy
- improves quality of life
Disadvantages of biomedical approach to health
- not every condition can be treated
- does not encourage or promote good health
What is new public health?
- aim of new public health is to prevent illness, disease and injury from occurring by modifying the risk factors
- about health promotion
- focused on a population level
- considers the ways in which the physical, sociocultural and political environments impact on health
What is health promotion?
process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health
What is the social model of health?
- approach that recognises improvements in H&W can only be achieved by directing effort towards addressing the physical, sociocultural and environmental factors of health that have an impact on individuals and population groups
- focuses on educating the public
- 5 key principles AREAS
Social model of health: addresses the boarder determinants of health
- focuses more than behavioural factors
- social, economic and environmental determinants
- focuses on reducing the impacts of factors that contribute to inequalities in H&W
- e.g. gender, SES, location of physical environs etc
Social model of health: reduces social inequality
- aim to “level the playing field”
- reduce barriers that that may prevent people from experiencing good health e.g. income, race, gender
Social model of health: empowers individuals and the community
- give people the knowledge and skills need to allow them to participate in decisions that positively impact their health
Social model of health: acts to enable access to healthcare
- addresses the social and environmental barriers that may restrict someones ability to access healthcare
- e.g. location, income, language barrier
Social model of health: intersectional collaboration
- governments and non-government groups work together to address barriers and improve health outcomes for all
- work towards a common goal
Social model of health strengths
- aimed at population level, more cost effective
- encourages good health through disease prevention
Social model of health limitations
- health messages may be ignored
- doesn’t assist those who are already sick
What is the Ottawa charter for Health promotion?
- approach to health development by the World Health Organisation
- attempts to reduce inequalities in health
- provides 5 action areas used as a basis for improving health status with are centres around 3 strategies
Ottawa charter for health promotion strategies for health promotion enable
- supporting people with the information, equal opportunities, resources and skills they need to achieve optimal health and wellbeing
Ottawa charter for health promotion strategies for health promotion advocate
- actions that aim to seek support from governments and society to make necessary changes to improve the factors that influence H&W
- lobbying governments and other organisations to improve access to healthcare services
Ottawa charter for health promotion strategies for health promotion mediate
- often health promotions require changes in legislation, policies, physical environment and sociocultural environment which may cause conflict between different groups
- helps resolve conflicts and leads to a coordination of all parties involved to ensure health promotion
Action areas of Ottawa charter: build healthy public policy
- develop policy, rules and regulation
- taxation and legislation by government and organisations to promote H&W
Action areas of Ottawa charter: create supportive environments
- create environments that encourage individuals to make healthy choices easier
Action areas of Ottawa charter: strengthen community action
- involve and encourage people from all parts of the community to work together to achieve a common goal of better health
Action areas of Ottawa charter: develop personal skills
- inform and empower
- usually education is used to make informed decisions and therefore healthier choices
Action areas of Ottawa charter: reorient health services
- switch focus from biomedical to preventible healthcare
- encourage medical professional to promote health through a preventable approach
