Vocab

Question 1

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

Answer 1

Disease that attacks & destroy’s body’s immune system. Leaves patient abnormally vulnerable to infections & other diseases cause by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

Question 2

Burden of Disease

Answer 2

Measure that combines effects of both morbidity & mortality rates. Provides health & economic overview of diseases & injuries to individuals & populations.

Question 3

CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)

Answer 3

U.S. gov. agency @ forefront of public health. Mission: prevent & control infectious & chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, & environmental health threats

Question 4

Cholera

Answer 4

Bacterial infection of small intestine that causes severe watery diarrhea, dehydration, & possibly death

Question 5

DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years)

Answer 5

Composite measure of years of life lost bc premature death & equivalent years lost bc of serious injury/disability

Question 6

Developed countries

Answer 6

Highly industrialized nations w/ high incomes & human capital; aka “1st World Countries”

Question 7

Developing countries

Answer 7

Countries w/ low standards of living & low industrial capacity; aka “3rd World Countries”

Question 8

Disability

Answer 8

Physical or mental incapacity (lack of ability), either congenital or resulting from injury or illness

Question 9

Epidemic

Answer 9

Disease occurring suddenly in community, region or country in #’s in excess of normal

Question 10

Epidemiologist

Answer 10

Medical scientist who traces spread of health, disease, & health-related conditions thru population

Question 10

Epidemiology

Answer 10

Study of factors affecting health & illness of populations. Serves as foundation & logic of interventions made in interest of public health & preventative medicine.

Question 11

Germ theory

Answer 11

Theory that microscopic organisms (germs( cause disease (often by infection thru air)

Question 12

GRID (Gay-related Immune Deficiency)

Answer 12

(Sometimes called gay plague) Alternative name for AIDS in early 1980s

Question 13

HDI (Human Development Index)

Answer 13

Measures average achievements in country of following 3 markers:
• health
• education
• income
Composite statistic used to rank countries by level of “human development” & separate developed (high development), developing (middle development) , & underdeveloped (low development) countries

Question 14

Health Date

Answer 14

Collection of organized info that gives “picture” of overall health of population

Question 15

Health Statistics

Answer 15

Application of statistics to health sciences that help reveal which diseases are most prevalent, which diseases are of greatest concern, & where outbreaks are happening

Question 16

HIV (Humman Immunodeficiency virus)

Answer 16

Retrovirus that causes AIDS

Question 17

Incidence

Answer 17

of deaths or new cases of condition, symptom, or injury that emerges during specific period of time, such as year

Question 18

Kaposi’s sarcoma

Answer 18

Disease in which cancer or malignant cells are found in tissues under skin or mucous membranes that line mouth, nose, & anus. Most common AIDS-related cancer. Causes reddish purple lesions that usually appear on skin.

Question 19

LDCs

Answer 19

Least Developed Countries. Lowest national incomes of all countries.

Question 20

Morbidity rate

Answer 20

Incidence of disease, rate of sickness, as in specified community or group

Question 21

Miasma theory

Answer 21

Belief that disease such as cholera & Black Death were caused by noxious cloud of “bad air”

Question 22

Mortality rate

Answer 22

Death rate, ratio of total # of deaths to total population

Question 23

Pandemic

Answer 23

Worldwide outbreak of disease in #’s excessive of normal ex: AIDS

Question 24

Pneumocystis carinni pneumonia

Answer 24

Form of pneumonia caused by yeast-like fungus. Rare in ppl w/ normal immune systems, but common w/ ppl w/ weakened immune systems, such as premature or severely malnourished children, elderly, & especially AIDS patients

Question 25

Opportunistic infections

Answer 25

Infections caused by organisms that usually don’t produce disease in healthy ppl but affect ppl w/ damaged immune systems. Organisms attack where there’s “opportunity” to infect.

Question 26

Outbreak

Answer 26

Sudden appearance of disease in specific geographic area

Question 27

Pertussis

Answer 27

Reportable bacterial infection of respiratory tract characterized by sort, convulsive coughs that end in whoop sound when breath is inhaled (whooping cough). Mainly affects children.

Question 28

Prevalence

Answer 28

Measure of proportion of persons in population w/ certain disease @ given time

Question 29

Reportable disease (Notifiable disease in U.S.)

Answer 29

Disease considered of great public health importance (AIDS, anthrax, pertussis, West Nile virus etc.). Such diseases need to be reported when diagnosed by doctors or laboratories. Reporting allows for collection of statistics that show how often disease occurs, which in turn helps researchers identify disease trends & track disease outbreaks.

Question 30

Thalidomide

Answer 30

Introduced in late 1950s as anti-nausea drug to alleviate morning sickness in early pregnancy. Realized many of babies whose mothers had taken this drug developed severe birth defects. Interest in using it in clinical trials for treatment of # of conditions & diseases, including lupus & cancer.