U3 AOS1 Understanding HWB (5)

Question 1

Income (within and outside major cities)

Answer 1

People who live outside major cities generally have lower household incomes and those in remote/very remote localities have the lowest incomes of all Australians. The overall lower income prominent in regional and remote areas compared with those living within major cities results in an increase in other risk factors, such as food insecurity and poor-quality housing.

Question 2

Employment status (within and outside major cities)

Answer 2

More people living outside major cities experience unemployment than those in major cities. In regional areas, people have fewer opportunities for employment particularly in skilled professional employment and are more likely to be out of work longer than those in major cities contributing to consistently low income. This, in turn, can lead to stress and the adoption of risky coping behaviours such as tobacco use, alcohol use.

Question 3

List the enviromental factors contributing to variations in health status of Australians living within and outside major cities

Answer 3

Climate change and natural disasters, and access to physical resources.

Question 4

Climate change and natural disasters (within and outside major cities)

Answer 4

The livelihoods of people outside major cities are more exposed to the potential damage from climate change than those of people living in cities. Environmental disasters, such as bushfire, increase the incidence of injury and death due to burns and smoke inhalation. These areas also experience lower access to health services as a result.

Question 5

Access to physical resources (within and outside major cities)

Answer 5

Access to health services is influenced by the lower levels of access to specialists and major hospitals in regional and remote areas, as well as longer travelling distances to seek help. People living in remote and very remote areas have reduced access to breast and bowel cancer screening and selected hospital procedures, as well as higher rates of potentially avoidable hospitalisations.

Question 6

Tobacco smoking

Answer 6

The practise of inhaling tobacco smoke into the mouth, and then releasing it. Many of the chemicals in tobacco are carcinogens which causes normal cells in the body to change their behaviour and become cancerous.

Question 7

Modifiable risk factors

Answer 7

Risk factors for which you can take measures to change. Examples include smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity.

Question 8

Tobacco smoking and cardiovascular disease

Answer 8

The nicotine in cigarettes also stimulates the body to produce adrenaline, which makes the heartbeat faster and raises blood pressure which increases the likelihood of a heart attack.

Question 9

Tobacco smoking and other health concerns

Answer 9

Tobacco smoking can cause respiratory problems such as increased coughing, chest colds, and asthma as tobacco causes irritation and swelling of the lungs and excess mucus in the lung passages. Therefore, causing permanent damage to the air sacs of the lungs resulting in permanent respiratory conditions such as COPD.

Question 10

Tobacco smoking and cancer

Answer 10

Tobacco includes chemicals such as nitrosamines that cause DNA damage. It is the DNA in all cells that controls how the cell works and replicates. Therefore, if the DNA is damaged cell multiplication and replication can go wrong, increasing the risk of abnormal and uncontrollable cell growth and the development of cancerous tumours.

Question 11

Alcohol and obesity

Answer 11

Alcohol adds additional kilojoules to the normal diet increasing energy intake. If excess kilojoules are not used as energy, then the kilojoules will be stored as body fat (adipose tissue), increasing the risk of a person becoming overweight and/ or obese.

Question 12

Alcohol and cardiovascular disease

Answer 12

Long-term use of excessive amounts of alcohol can cause high blood pressure, some types of cardiac failure, stroke and other circulatory problems, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Question 13

Alcohol and cancer

Answer 13

Alcohol causes cancer by damaging the genetic material and functioning of cells, which results in abnormal cell growth that can invade or spread to other parts of the body.

Question 14

Alcohol and pregnancy

Answer 14

Alcohol use during pregnancy is linked to premature birth and low birthweight. Alcohol can also interfere with the normal growth and development of the foetus, causing a range of birth defects, including Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This is because alcohol in the mother’s bloodstream crosses the placenta and enters the baby’s blood stream.

Question 15

Carcinogenic

Answer 15

A substance causing cancer.

Question 16

Alcohol

Answer 16

Alcohol or ethanol is the ingredient in drinks that leads to intoxication which acts as a depressant on the central nervous system thereby slowing down the messages between the brain and the body impairing judgments and decisions made when under the influence.

Question 17

High BMI and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Answer 17

Excess body fat seems to trigger the release of certain proteins from fat cells that negatively affect the secretion of insulin. This leads to a fluctuation of insulin and blood glucose levels, and over a long period of time can overwork the pancreas and lead to impaired glucose regulation, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Question 18

High BMI and cancer

Answer 18

Obesity is thought to increase the risk of cancer as having more fat tissue, or adipose tissue, which is believed to produce excess amounts of oestrogen and increase the risk of breast, endometrial or ovarian cancer.

Question 19

High BMI and cardiovascular disease

Answer 19

Abdominal fat is often associated with increased cholesterol levels and a build-up of plaque, which narrows and hardens arteries (atherosclerosis) reducing blood supply. This requires the heart to work harder at circulating the blood around the body, increasing hypertension. Consequently, the risk of cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease and stroke is increased.

Question 20

Diabetes mellitus

Answer 20

A metabolic disease in which the body cannot maintain normal blood glucose levels. High blood glucose levels result from defective insulin secretion, insulin action or both.

Question 21

Salt

Answer 21

Includes the component of sodium which is used in the regulation of blood pressure and blood volume, It’s extracellular fluid and its concentrations needs to be controlled efficiently. The role of sodium is to maintain body water distribution. Only a small amount of salt is needed by the body for optimal functioning of body processes.

Question 22

High intake of salt

Answer 22

Increased sodium levels in the body result in excess fluid being withdrawn from the cells in the body, leading to increased blood volume. This means the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body (through the blood vessels) which is a risk factor for hypertension (high blood pressure).

Question 23

Food sources for sodium

Answer 23

A diet containing food with high amounts of salt such as cured meats (eg., hams, and salami’s) cheese, or preserved vegetables (e.g., sundried tomatoes) is associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Question 24

High intake of salt and osteoporosis

Answer 24

High consumption of salt is also linked to greater excretion of calcium in the urine, leading to loss of calcium that is actually needed for a range of body functions, including maintaining bone density. This calcium loss can therefore increase the risk of osteoporosis. The more calcium that is excreted from the body, the less there will be available for the bones to use in the continual process of rebuilding new bone cells.

Question 25

Food sources for iron

Answer 25

Food sources for iron include lean red meat, wholegrain cereal products, green leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach or legumes), and nuts.

Question 26

Iron-deficiency anaemia

Answer 26

A condition where there is insufficient haemoglobin in the red blood cells to carry oxygen to the cells to meet the body’s needs. This means the red blood cells have to work harder to move oxygen around the body.

Question 27

Iron

Answer 27

An important micronutrient that is not produced by the body therefore must be provided to the body by diet making it an essential dietary mineral.

Question 28

Haemoglobin

Answer 28

Transports oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the tissues, which need oxygen to maintain basic life functions and energy production.

Question 29

Low intake of iron and disease

Answer 29

A low intake of dietary sources of iron will lead to a decline and depletion in the body’s iron stores, which results in an iron deficiency. A low iron intake is a risk factor for iron-deficiency anaemia which can lead to a range of symptoms including fatigue, tiredness, dizziness and decreased immunity.

Question 30

Myoglobin

Answer 30

Supplies oxygen to muscle cells for use in the chemical reaction that results in muscle contraction.

Question 31

Catabolise

Answer 31

To break down fat in the body in order to be a useable energy source.

Question 32

Fats

Answer 32

A substance that provides fuel for energy.

Question 33

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)

Answer 33

Considered “bad” cholesterol. This is because LDL cholesterol collects in the walls of arteries and can eventually narrow the passageways.

Question 34

High-density lipoproteins (HDL)

Answer 34

Considered “good” cholesterol. This is because HDL absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver where it can be removed from your bloodstream before it builds up in your arteries.

Question 35

Cholestrol

Answer 35

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that circulates in the body’s blood stream that is crucial to many metabolic functions such as the production of hormones.