Health Atar Exam Prep Vocabulary

Wellbeing

Refers to one’s physical health as well as mental happiness and prosperity.

Medicare

Federally funded government program to subsidize the cost of healthcare for Australian citizens. Covers doctor visits, hospital stays in public hospitals and pharmaceuticals.

Malnutrition

Poor health from insufficient food and nutrients, due to not eating enough or eating food with low nutrient content.

Burden of Disease

A description of how much disease and death is in a community, measured by how many years people live with a disease, injury or illness and how many years they prematurely die.

Fight or Flight

The response the body has when in the face of danger, preparing to either stand and fight or run away.

Natural Environment

Includes all the organisms, elements and landscapes found on earth such as air, water, climate, vegetation, animals, micro-organisms, soil and rocks.

Built Environment

Refers to aspects of our surroundings that were created or modified by people such as buildings, roads, communication networks, homes, schools and workplaces, recreation areas, transport systems and vehicles.

Social Gradient

Upper, middle and lower classes of wealth based on their income, housing, education or accumulated wealth. Life expectancy is shorter for people living lower down the social ladder.

Social Exclusion

An individual being excluded from the life of society, possibly due to unemployment, homelessness, poverty, racism or discrimination.

Attitude

Refer to the feelings individuals attach to objects, people or situations. Attitudes are usually expressed in terms of like or dislike.

Beliefs

A person’s sense of right and wrong. They tend to differ in intensity and power with some beliefs being central to an individual.

Health behavior

Acts performed by a person that will increase or decrease injury or illness, these can be voluntary or involuntary behavior.

Social Norm

Refers to the phenomenon that a lot of people’s behavior is influenced by their perception of how other members of their social group behave. Unwritten rules by which a social group is expected or does.

Cultural Norm

Are behavior patterns of specific groups due to their cultural upbringing, ethnic affiliation, country of origin or religious practices. These are usually determined by family.

Values

Are general principles by which one lives their life. They are not specific to an object or situation but are the moral standards that an individual draws upon to make decisions, determine ethical behavior or standards of conduct.

Media

Methods of communication, such as radio and TV, newspapers and magazines that reach or influence people widely.

Advertising

The act or practice of calling public attention to one's product service, need, especially by paid announcements in the media: Newspapers and magazines, radio or tv, billboards.

Marketing

The process or technique of promoting, selling and distributing a product or service includes advertising, branding, packaging, storage, distribution and point of sale.

Subjective Norm

An Individual’s perception as to whether they should act a particular way based on the way others around them are acting.

Normative Beliefs

A belief held by an individual about the beliefs of others regarding this behavior. Is this behavior “normal” and considered appropriate an acceptable way to behave? Am I allowed to behave this way?

Outcome Beliefs

The belief an individual holds about the perceived result (or outcome) of a behavior. It includes the perceived consequences or benefits from performing the behavior.

Perception

The ability of a person to sense something, to analyze what is going on around them and make sense of it in their own mind.

Persuasive

The label gives a message that is convincing. Individuals can be “persuaded” by social influence or direct messages to change their belief, attitude and behavior.

Health Belief Model

Is used in health promotion to motivate people to participate in interventions and prevention programs.

Health Literacy

The ability of individuals to access and understand health information and to use the information to make informed, wise decisions.

Health Promotion

The process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants and thereby improve their health.

Inquiry

Seeking or requesting truth, information or knowledge. An investigation.

Evaluation

To make judgements about the value of something

Synthesis

Make something new, create new meaning or re-orient how something works.

Analysis

Separate into parts so it can be better understood, Distinguish between fact and opinion.

Citation

A reference to a document.

Summarizing

The process of reducing the authors ideas from a piece of information by selecting key points and an outline of the discussion or argument while omitting necessary details and examples

(determinants of health) Social Gradient

Upper, middle and lower classes of wealth based on their income, housing, education or accumulated wealth. Life expectancy is shorter for people living lower down the social ladder. People with less money, poorer housing and lower incomes will experience disease more than those up the social ladder.

(determinants of health) Unemployment

Working is better for health than not working. If unemployed tend to be lower on the social gradient affecting their psychological, financial, and social health which causes anxiety, stress and depression.  

(determinants of health) Early Life

Prenatal and infant death will either affect positively or negativity in adult health. The health of the mum during pregnancy can cause complications during birth and the quality of the child’s first few years impact heavily on the wellbeing’s future. Poor fetal development (due to bad diet, stress or drug use by the mother) can have long lasting effects like poor brain development and growth. This impacts education, socialization and emotional health

(determinants of health) Social exclusion

An individual being excluded from the life of society. Possibly due to unemployment, homelessness, poverty, racism or discrimination. This can lead to issues such as not being able to access medical services, not being able to communicate with others, lack of support systems, safety concerns and emotional trauma.

(determinants of health) Work

Work is good for your health. Can improve self-esteem, self-worth, motivation and satisfaction, this will positively impact social and emotional health. But unsafe, hazardous and demeaning work environments will impact health negatively.  

(determinants of health) Stress

Individuals living in stressful circumstances for prolonged periods of time live in a constant state of “fight or flight”. When this stress does not require a “fight or flight” response and is maintained over a long time, it can impact negatively on psychological and physical health. The immune system will be harmed due to extended stress and causes the individual to be more likely to receive infections and disease. Stress can cause anxiety, headaches, low self-esteem, frequent infections, extreme tiredness and fatigue, reduced mental functioning and moodiness.

(determinants of health) Addiction

Is a never-ending cycle. Stressor or Unhappiness > Drug/Alcohol Use >High or feel better > Can’t afford drug REPEAT negative physical effects and emotional due to coping with addiction (usually drug or substance abuse)

(determinants of health) Food

What we eat will affect our physical health. A healthy, nutritious, balanced diet is essential for growth, development and vitality. All good nutrition suggests minimal amounts of salt, sugar and starchy or processed foods and large quantities of fresh fruit, vegetables and legumes. Developed countries, upper class, bigger income = easier access to good foods. Underdeveloped countries, lower class, small/no income = harder access to good foods.

(determinants of health) Transport

Choice of transport can be beneficial to health and the environment (due to no emissions) such as walking, cycling or skating.

(determinants of health) Social Support

Having positive, rewarding, close friendships will have better health status and live longer than those who either are socially isolated or have less supportive relationships. Societies with high levels of social cohesion have lower levels of illness and disease and higher life expectancy. Communities with low levels of cohesion suffer more crime. Violence and lack of social respect.

(determinants of health) Culture

The cultural group n individual belongs has an impact on their health behaviors as cultural expectations influence decisions. Like food choices, help seeking or traditions. And can impact health

(environmental determinants of health) Natural Environment

The natural environment includes elements like air quality, water supply, and green spaces, which can significantly affect physical and mental health. Access to clean air and natural resources promotes overall well-being.

(environmental determinants of health) Extreme Weather

Harm directly (injuries) and indirect harm (as the extreme weather event can reduce the ability of the population to maintain the social determinants of health). Includes bushfires, violent storms, storms and flooding, landslides, exceptionally high levels of precipitation, heat waves or droughts that are longer or hotter than normal.

(environmental determinants of health) Food and Water Quality

Virus and bacteria being present in the food or water. Water of adequate quality and quantity is a requirement for personal and public health. These viruses and bacteria can become dangerous to health if allowed to grow or exist in food sources. – Salmonellosis (causes fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.) Caused by bacteria in egg, raw meat, raw milk etc. – Campylobacteriosis (causes abdominal pain, fever, nausea and diarrhea.) caused by bacteria in raw meat, milk and drinking water etc. Main causes of water-based illness: viruses, bacteria, protozoa

(environmental determinants of health) Vector Agents

An organism that transmits a disease, parasite or infection from one host to another. E.g.: Ross River Virus, Barmah Forest Virus, Malaria.

(environmental determinants of health) Ultraviolet Radiation:

Ultraviolet Radiation: High energy rays most commonly coming from sunlight. Low

exposure= can cause diseases such as rickets or osteoporosis. High exposure= UV exposure

is the major cause of melanoma and non- melanoma skin cancer.

(environmental determinants of health) Outdoor Air Quality

Air that is not of sound quality is referred to as polluted. Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, dust pr fumes in amounts that are considered harmful to the health or comfort of humans and animals.

(environmental determinants of health) Built Environment

The built environment refers to aspects of our surroundings that were created or modified by people such as buildings, roads, communication networks, homes, schools and workplaces, recreation areas, transport systems and vehicles.

(environmental determinants of health) Indoor Air Quality

Contaminants in the air can cause asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, development constraints such as low birth weight, fatigue etc

(environmental determinants of health) Walkability

refers to how conducive an area is for walking. Street connectivity, land use and residential density.

(environmental determinants of health) Transport

Is the physical infrastructure, vehicles and operations that provide for the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Infrastructure includes roads, waterways, railways, footpaths and cycle paths etc.

(environmental determinant of health) Green Space

An area of open land within or next to an urban area. (Parks, garden, lawn etc.)

(environmental determinants of health) Environmental Noise

Any unwanted sound that may cause annoyance, disturb communication or interfere with sleep and mental tasks. The main sources of environmental noise are road, rail and sir traffic, contst