Week 11 Flashcards
What is the concept of Epidemiological Transition?
The epidemiological transition is a theory that describes changing population patterns in terms of fertility, life expectancy, mortality, and leading causes of death
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Age of Pestilence and Famine:
- Ancient times.
- High mortality due to infectious diseases and famines.
- Low life expectancy.
- Common pandemics.
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Age of Receding Pandemics:
- Advancements in sanitation, nutrition, and medical care.
- Less frequent pandemics.
- Longer life expectancy.
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Age of Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases:
- Industrialization.
- Rise of chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes).
- Lifestyle factors contribute.
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Age of Technical Development:
- Advances in medicine, vaccines, and technology.
- Better control of infectious diseases.
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Age of Lifestyle Disease and Receding Life Expectancy:
- Despite progress, lifestyle-related diseases persist.
- Sedentary lifestyles, stress, and poor diet impact health.
Feel free to use these simplified points for your memorization! 🌟
What are some key problems in public health?
Some key problems in public health include obesity, physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, poor diet, non-communicable diseases, high blood pressure, smoking, and various forms of conflict.
What are the levels of prevention in public health?
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Primary Prevention:
- Goal: Prevent disease or injury before it occurs.
- Achieved by:
- Avoiding exposures to hazards causing disease or injury.
- Promoting healthy behaviors (e.g., exercise, not smoking).
- Enhancing resistance to disease or injury.
- Examples:
- Immunizations, sanitation, and health education.
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Secondary Prevention:
- Goal: Early detection and treatment to slow disease progression.
- Achieved by:
- Screening for risks and identifying health issues.
- Prompt intervention to prevent complications.
- Examples:
- Regular health check-ups, cancer screenings.
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Tertiary Prevention:
- Goal: Reduce disability and promote rehabilitation.
- Achieved by:
- Managing existing conditions effectively.
- Preventing worsening of health problems.
- Examples:
- Rehabilitation programs, chronic disease management.
What is the difference between the population approach and the treatment approach in public health?
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Population Approach:
- Aim: The population approach aims to favorably shift the distribution of risk across the entire population through environmental or societal interventions.
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Advantages:
- Reduces the incidence of disease proactively.
- Potentially shifts societal norms toward reduced population prevalence of health risks.
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Disadvantage:
- Little perceived advantage to any one individual, which can make motivation more challenging to maintain.
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Treatment Approach (High-Risk Strategy):
- Aim: The treatment approach focuses on identifying and treating individuals with a high propensity toward disease.
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Advantage:
- Targets treatment to the individual, motivating patients to take action.
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Disadvantages:
- Relies on appropriate screening of the population to identify high-risk individuals.
- Primarily focuses on symptom relief rather than prevention.
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Public Health Achievements (20th Century):
- Notable achievements include:
- Vaccinations: Widespread immunization efforts led to the control and eradication of various infectious diseases.
- Improved Sanitation: Better sanitation practices reduced the spread of waterborne diseases.
- Reductions in Heart Disease and Stroke Deaths: Efforts to promote heart-healthy lifestyles and medical advancements contributed to decreased mortality from cardiovascular diseases.
- Maternal and Infant Health Improvements: Prenatal care, safe childbirth practices, and neonatal care led to better outcomes for mothers and babies.
- Tobacco Use Reductions: Public health campaigns and policies helped decrease tobacco consumption and related health risks.
- Notable achievements include:
What are some achievements of public health in the 20th century?
achievements of public health in the 20th century include vaccinations, improved sanitation, reductions in deaths from heart disease and stroke, improvements in maternal and infant health, and reductions in tobacco use.
What are some emerging threats in public health in the 21st century?
Emerging threats in public health in the 21st century include chronic diseases, new and re-emerging infectious diseases, and natural disasters.
Types of Study Designs
Cohort (Longitudinal) Study:
Aim: Follow groups of exposed and non-exposed individuals over time to determine incidence of outcome.
Case-Control Study:
Aim: Identify individuals with the outcome and assess past exposure retrospectively.
Measurement of Exposure
Nature Considerations:
Specificity (e.g., pipe or cigarette)
Sensitivity (e.g., lead in water source)
Additional factors (e.g., adaptation, modification)
Dose Cumulative Considerations:
Availability (e.g., presence in environment)
Administration (e.g., inhalation or contagion)
Absorption (e.g., biologically effective)
Time Considerations:
Periodic or continuous
Acute or chronic
Measures of Outcome
Ratio:
Relationship between two numbers
Proportion (Point and Period):
Essentially a ratio where the numerator is included within the denominator, often expressed as a percentage.
Rate:
A proportion with a specific time reference, providing the velocity of events within a population within a specific time.
Risk versus Odds Ratios:
As the denominator increases in size due to sample size or rarity of outcome, risk and odds ratios become approximately equal.
Case-Control Studies:
In case-control studies, the proportion of exposed individuals with the disease is unknown.
Odds ratio is preferred due to better numerical properties, especially in logistic regression.
Risk-Time Graph:
Risk increases with the length of follow-up, illustrated by a risk-time graph.
Incidence Rates:
Definition: Rate at which new events occur in the population.
Factors in calculation of total person-time at risk include time to development of disease, time until lost to follow-up, and time to end of study.
The unit of person-time must be stated.
Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR):
Risk ratios do not consider differences in study duration or follow-up time.
IRRs are used to calculate ratios of rates.
Hazard Ratios:
Similar to IRRs, hazard ratios describe time to outcome and are often mentioned in papers.
