weeks 11 and 12

Question 1

Define public health.

Answer 1

The health of the population as a whole, especially as the subject of government regulation and support.

Question 2

List the 5 determinants of health, and give an example of each

Answer 2

biomedical factors: hypertension

lifestyle and behaviour factors: tobacco smoking

knowledge, attitude and beliefs: these influence our lifestyle, for example, Some people might believe that being diagnosed with cancer is a death sentence.

genetic factors: genetic disorders such as down syndrome

environmental factors: government decisions on funding for health services

Question 3

Describe the work of John Snow; what disease did this work help to control?

Answer 3

john snow tracked the spread of cholera during an epidemic in london in 1854. he created a map which found that cases of cholera were clustered around a water pump.

Question 4

List 5 of the proposed greatest public health achievements in the 20th century

Answer 4

improved sanitation
world wide vaccines
recognition of tobacco as a heath hazard
vehicle safety
safer workplaces

Question 5

List 4 ways by which health status can be measured.

Answer 5

life expectancy
mortality and morbidity
incidence and prevalence
burden of disease - DALY

Question 6

What is a DALY? How is it calculated?

Answer 6

DALY, which stands for disability adjusted life years is used to measure the burden of disease.
One DALY = one year of healthy life lost due to a disease or injury.
DALY measures years of life lost (YLL) and years of life spent living with an illness or disability (YLD)

DALY = YLL + YLD

Question 7

Define the terms morbidity, mortality, burden of disease, incidence, and prevalence.

Answer 7

Morbidity: Refers to the presence of illness or disease in an individual or population.

Mortality: Refers to the number of deaths in a population.

Burden of Disease: Measures the impact of a health problem, often in terms of years of life lost or lived with disability.

Incidence: The number of new cases of a disease in a specific time period.

Prevalence: The total number of cases of a disease in a population at a given time.

Question 8

What governmental body funds
a) Australian hospitals
b) Medicare?

Answer 8

a: state government
b: federal government

Question 9

What % of individual taxation funds Medicare?

Answer 9

2%

Question 10

What are the leading causes of death in Australian
a) men
b) women?

Answer 10

a: coronary heart disease
b: dementia including alzheimers

Question 11

Name the NHPAs.

Answer 11

Arthritis and MSK conditions
Asthma
Dementia
Diabetes
Cancer control
Cardiovascular disease
Injury prevention and control
Mental health
Obesity

Question 12

On what basis are the NHPAs established?

Answer 12

Based on the health burden they represent in Australia base on:

their prevalence
mobidity and mortality rates
the potential to reduce their impact
costs to the individual and community

Question 13

List 5 reasons why some commentators believe the current health system is unsustainable

Answer 13

strong emphasis on medical care/doctor knows best
cure not prevention
expensive interventions
workforce shortages
restriction on specialist training

Question 14

Define YLDs and list the 10 leading causes of YLDs in Australia

Answer 14

YLD: years lived with diasbility

low back pain
depression
other MSK disorders
neck pain
migraine
anxiety disorders
COPD (chornic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Asthma
age related and other hearing loss
diabetes

Question 15

What percentage of emergency department visits are considered to not involve serious conditions?

Answer 15

up to 40%

Question 16

Provide brief description of Health, Disease, and Illness

Answer 16

health: absence of disease

disease: A condition affecting an organism, caused by infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, with specific signs and symptoms.

Illness: The presence of disease combined with personal perceptions, behaviours, and social dysfunction related to it.

Question 17

Describe The Sick Role Theory, what are the obligations and privileges of the affected individuals?

Answer 17

the sick role theory is a term used in medical sociology regarding sickness and the rights and obligations of the affected.
obligations: must seek professional help, make an effort towards getting better
privlidges: exempt normal social obligations

Question 18

Define the term “biomedical model”, describe its three characteristics

Answer 18

biomedical model: the dominant set of beliefs, values, practices and assumptions in western medicine.
3 characteristics
- biomedical model assumes a seperation between mind and body.
- treatment focuses on the body
- takes very little account of social, psychological or behavioural factors

Question 19

Provide four characteristics of Social Models of Health
Social models of health focuses on:

Answer 19

people having access to the basics of life: water, food, shelter
services being able to provide these
community involvement and participation
all people having access and things being equitable

Question 20

Describe psychosocial models of health

Answer 20

they recognise:
the importance of the mind and psychology in health
health beliefs/psychosomatic disorders/role of psychology and stress in disease
the importance of familt and community
treats the mind and potentially the body

Question 21

Describe the definition of health as defined in the Ottawa Charter. List the Ottawa Charter’s five action areas that the Health Promotion is based on?

Answer 21

health is a positive concept that emphasises social and personal resources, as well as physical capabilities.

5 action areas:
building healthy public policy
creating supportive environments
re-orientating health services
developing personal skills
strengthing community action

Question 22

What is Iatrogenesis? Define the terms clinical, social, and cultural iatrogenesis. Provide examples

Answer 22

Iatrogenesis: Harm or complications caused by a healer/medical treatment.

Clinical Iatrogenesis: Direct harm from medical procedures or drugs.
Example: patients wound becomes infected because healthcare provider didnt wash their hands before handling.

Social Iatrogenesis: Medicalization of everyday life, leading people to rely on medical solutions for non-medical problems.
Example: medicalisation of birth

Cultural Iatrogenesis: Loss of meaningful ways of dealing with pain, sickness, and death, replaced by medical interventions.
Example: medicalisation of dying

Question 23

What is Medicalisation? List four steps of medicalisation

Answer 23

medicalisation is the process of defining an increasing number of lifes problems as medical problems.

4 steps:
define a problem as a medical one
use medical language to describe a problem
adopt a medical framework to understand a problem
use a medical intervention to treat it.