Unit 3 AOS 2 Flashcards
What is public health?
Public health relates to the actions of governments that work to promote health and wellbeing and prevent illness.
- Public health initiatives work to promote the health and wellbeing of the whole population
Old public health
government actions that focused on changing the physical environment to prevent the spread of disease
old public health initiatives
Improved water and sanitation
better quality housing and fewer slums
better quality food and nutrition
introduction of quarantine laws
safer working conditions
more hygenic birthing practises
improved water and sanitation contribution to improvements in Australia’s health status
This provided people with clean water to drink and removed garbage and waste from the streets, contributing to a reduction in deaths from infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.
Quarantine Laws contribution to improvements in Australia’s health status
Prevented the arrival and transmission of infectious diseases from other countries, in particular the bubonic plague.
Elimination of housing slums and introduction of better-quality housing contribution to improvements in Australia’s health status
Reduced deaths from respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, and infectious diseases, such as typhoid, cholera and diarrhoea.
Improved food and nutrition contribution to improvements in Australia’s health status
Reduction in deaths from stomach cancer. The School Milk Program was introduced after World War I which saw milk being provided to school children to reduce protein and calcium deficiencies.
Improved nutrition resulted in better physical health and wellbeing as children and adults had better resistance to infectious and respiratory diseases and were able to more quickly recover from them.
More hygienic birthing practices contriubtion to improvements in Australia’s health status
This contributed to a reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates.
biomedical approach to health
biomedical approach to health focuses on the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness; a medical model practised by doctors and health professionals and is associated with the diagnosis, treatment and cure of disease
Defining features of the biomedical model of health
It is relatively expensive as medical professionals are central to the biomedical model and medical technology is also important in this model.
It focuses on the disease itself and not the factors that contribute to disease and therefore doesn’t specifically target disease prevention
It is responsible for many developments in medical technology and knowledge and is therefore a key reason for life expectancy increasing significantly over the past 100 years (from around 55 in 1900 to over 80 years today)
It focusses on individuals with disease, not the whole population.
It accounts for a large proportion of the health budget (over 95%)
The strengths and limitations of the biomedical model
Strengths
It creates advances in technology and research.
Many common problems can be effectively treated.
Extends life expectancy.
Improves quality of life.
Weaknesses
It relies on professional health workers and technology and is therefore costly.
It doesn’t always promote good health.
Not every condition can be treated.
Affordability (not everyone can afford it)
social model of health
social model of health an approach that recognises improvements in health and wellbeing can only be achieved by directing effort towards addressing the physical, sociocultural and political environments of health that have an impact on individuals and population groups
Examples:
Creating laws that promote health and wellbeing such as smoking bans and road safety laws.
Education campaigns such as the TAC TV ads, sunsmart
Empowering people by providing information about healthy foods through the Health Star Rating System and educating people how to read food labels.
Strengths of the social model of health
It promotes good health and wellbeing and assists in preventing diseases as it focuses on factors that contribute to disease
I
t promotes overall health and wellbeing as it goes beyond focusing on the symptoms of the disease
It is relatively inexpensive as it can save the cost associated with treating disease
It focuses on vulnerable population groups as it includes a focus on equity
Education can be passed on from generation to generation contributing to sustainable improvements in health and wellbeing
Limitations of the social model of health
Not every condition can be prevented- the causes of some conditions are genetic or very difficult to prevent
It does not promote the development of technology and medical knowledge
It does not address health and wellbeing concerns of individuals
Health promotion messages may be ignored which means health and wellbeing may not improve.
Ottawa Charter
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion an approach to health developed by the World Health Organization that aims to reduce inequalities in health. It reflects the social model of health and provides five action areas that can be used as a basis for improving health outcomes.
Action areas of the Ottawa Charter
Build healthy public policy
Create supportive environments
strengthen community action
develop personal skills
reorient health services.
build healthy public policy
Laws and policies can be made by governments and non-government organisations that promote health.
Examples include seatbelt laws, no hat no play
Create supportive environments
Sociocultural and physical environments should be manipulated so that healthier choices are made easier.
Examples: reducing the price of fresh food or installing bicycle paths are examples of this.
Strengthen community actions
Maximum benefits to health are achieved when all groups work together to achieve a common goal.
Government and non-government and the private sector should work together to promote health.
Example- Road safety illustrates this action area. Schools, parents, police governments and the TAC all play a role in promoting road safety.
Develop personal skills
This area is concerned with education .
When people have the skills to improve their health and wellbeing, they are more likely to do so.
Example: Teaching people how to select and prepare health foods is an example of this.
Reorient health services
The health system must change focus to health promotion instead of just focusing on treating disease (as the biomedical model does) and encompass all members of the community
eg. health professionals, members of the public, government and non-government groups and the private sector.
Example of this is doctors prescribing exercise before a person has a health attack and nurses talking to school children about the importance of regular health check ups.
