the determinants of health Flashcards
atherosclerosis
the bulid up of plaque on blood vessel walls, making it harder for blood to get through
behavioural determinants
actions or patterns of living of an individual or a group that impact on health, such as smoking
biological determinants
factors relating to the body that impact on health, such as genetics
body mass indext (BMI)
a statistical measure of body mass calculated by dividing weight by height
cholesterol
a type of fat required for maintaining cell membraines and producing hormones
determinants of health
factors that affect the level of health in a population or individual. determinants of health help to explain or predict trends in health and why some groups have better or worse health than others. determinants can be classified in many ways such as biological, behavioural and social.
fertilisation
the fusing of a sperm and egg cell. makes the begginig of pregnacy
food insecurity
when healthy, affordible food is not obtained
food security
the state in which all persons obtain nutrionally adequate, culturally appropriate food through local non emergency sources
hypertension
high blood pressure
menopause
when the menstraul cycle stops perminantly ending the ability of a female to reproduce
mutation
when the DNA in a cell is damaged or changed, permanently altering the genetic information within the cell. this can affect the function of the cell in either a positive or negative way.
physical environment
the physical surroundings in which we live, work and play. the physical environment includes water, air, workplaces, housing, roads, nature, schools, recreation settings
protective factors
aspects of a persons personality and environment that act to protect there health. eg. satisfing job
relative poverty
refers to people who have a low income or lack resources compared to the average in the society in which they live
