Public Health and Health Promotion Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards defining terms related to public health, socio-ecological health determinants, and health promotion strategies as presented in the lecture notes.

absolute poverty

A fixed income point above which one is classified as not poor and below which one is classified as poor (compare relative poverty).

access

The ability to secure needed services and information at a quality, cost and level of accessibility that is culturally, economically and socially acceptable.

advocacy

Efforts by individuals or groups to gain political commitment and social acceptance in order to change laws, regulations, policy and organisational practices that impact on the ability of individuals, communities and populations to be healthy and to create essential conditions for health.

behavioural approach to health

Underpins the types of health promotion that focus on risk factors and lifestyle behaviours.

biological approach to health

Explores the role of genes and risk markers and their interactions with other determinants of health.

biomedical approach to health

Sees health and illness in terms of an individualÍs medically defined pathology.

burden of disease

Burden of disease studies provide an assessment of the amount of ill health in a population measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) arising from most diseases and injuries.

capacity building

The invisible hand of health promotion - a set of processes that builds infrastructure, program sustainability and problem solving.

community action

Refers to collective efforts by communities that are directed towards increasing community control over the determinants of health, thereby improving health.

community engagement

A strategy to work with diverse groups and communities - especially vulnerable population groups including those experiencing disadvantage and/or social exclusion - to increase their inclusion, particularly their access to health information and services.

death rate

The number of deaths per million people in each year; the lower the mortality rate, the healthier is the population - this is the opposite logic from life expectancy.

depression

A group of illnesses characterised by excessive and long-term lowered mood, which causes significant ongoing distress and/or impairment.

determinant of health

A factor or characteristic that brings about a change in health, either for the better or for the worse (also see distal determinant of health and proximal determinant of health).

disease prevention

Disease prevention is action that usually emanates from the health sector, dealing with individuals and populations identified as exhibiting identifiable risk factors, often associated with different risk behaviours (WHO $1998$, p. $14$).

ecological health

The outcome of complex interrelationships and interdependencies between human beings, the determinants of health, and the broader environment in which they exist.

environmental health

Those aspects of human health determined by physical, chemical, biological and social factors in the environment. Environmental health is about creating and maintaining environments which promote good public health.

environmental health justice

The right to a safe, healthy, productive and sustainable environment. Environmental health justice requires the pursuit of equal justice and protection in legislation, regulations, government policy and actions.

epidemic

The occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health- related behaviour or other health- related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy. The community or region and the period in which the cases occur are specified precisely (Last $2001$).

evaluation

An assessment of the extent to which actions achieve a 'valued' outcome.

globalisation

A set of processes leading to the creation of a world as a single entity, relatively undivided by national borders or other types of boundaries, such as cultural, economic and temporal boundaries.

health

A resource that permits people to lead an individually, socially and economically productive life. It is a positive concept emphasising social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities.

health disadvantage

Concentrates on differences between distinct segments of the population, or between societies; it is often followed by analysis of those who are worst off, and so-called targeted programs from those most in need.

health education

Any combination of learning experiences designed to help individuals and communities improve their health by increasing their knowledge or influencing their attitudes.

health equity

The rights of people to have equitable access to services on the basis of need, and the resources, capacities and power they need to act upon the circumstances of their lives that determine their health.

health gaps

An approach that focuses on the differences between the worst off and everybody else; it leads to further examination of those in poorest health, as if those who are not the worst off enjoy uniformly good health.

health gradient

A perspective that examines the health differences across the whole spectrum of the population; it acknowledges a systematically patterned gradient in health inequities using measures of social stratification called equity stratifiers.

health inequality

An observable, often measurable difference in health status between individuals, groups or populations, whatever the cause.

health inequity

Those inequalities in health deemed to be unfair or stemming from some form of injustice.

health literacy

The knowledge gained from experiences, values and beliefs, attitudes that promote recognition and appropriate help-seeking, knowledge of health related issues including factors that create health and how to seek health information, the ability to recognise specific disorders, of self-treatments; and how to find professional help.

health policy

A formal statement or procedure within institutions (notably government) that defines priorities and the parameters for action in response to health needs, available resources and other political pressures.

health promotion

The process of enabling people to take control over those factors that determine their health.

healthy public policy

An explicit concern for health and equity in all areas of policy and by an accountability for health impact, with aims to create supportive environments to enable people to lead healthy lives and the building of policies particularly in non- health sectors, to support health.

incidence

The rate at which an event or circumstance occurs per unit of time, population or other standard of comparison.

inequalities

Measurable differences or variations in some condition such as health or income levels.

inequities

Those inequalities that are deemed to be unfair or stemming from some form of injustice. Inequities involve relations of equal and unequal power (political, social and economic) as well as justice and injustice.

infant mortality rate

The number of deaths of infants under $1$ year old in a given year per $1000$ live births in that same year.

life expectancy

The average length of life for people in a community or population. Life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the number of years a person can expect to live, on average, assuming that death rates continue at levels that prevailed in the year of their birth.

lifestyle

A way of living based on identifiable patterns of behaviour that are determined by the interplay between an individualÍs personal characteristics, social interactions, and socio-economic and environmental living conditions (WHO $1998$, p. $26$).

low- and middle- income countries

Countries with income levels that cannot provide adequate preventive and curative health services, with poor individuals and households who cannot move from unhealthy surroundings, buy enough food or use the services that exist. LMICs usually do not have the political power needed to get better services.

maternal mortality rate

The number of maternal deaths within $42$ days of the end of pregnancy, per $100,000$ women who gave birth, divided by the number of live births (or by the number of live births plus foetal deaths) in that year.

mental health literacy

The ability to recognise specific disorders and know how to seek mental health information, recognise risk factors and causes, and have knowledge of self- treatment and of professional help available, as well as an attitude that promotes these skills and behaviours.

morbidity rate

The rate of incidence of disease or illness.

mortality rate

A measure of the number of deaths in a defined population, scaled to the size of that population per $1000$ individuals per year.

new public health

An explicitly social and political approach to health development that emphasises knowledge to action on the social determinants of health, intersectoral action to support health, healthy public policy, environments for health, sustainable development and equity in health.

notifiable condition

An illness or disease that health workers must report to a government agency or registry for statistical purposes and to help reduce the incidence of the illness or disease.

old public health

A social movement of the nineteenth century that worked to improve living conditions through the development of physical infrastructure, including water, sanitation and housing, as well as policy and legislation to support and drive change.

policy for advocacy

Policies developed by interest groups and NGOs as position papers and/or lobbying tools.

population health

An approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population, rather than individuals, and to reduce health inequities among and between specific population groups.

prevalence

The percentage of the population suffering from a disorder at a given point, or period, of time.

prevention

Primary prevention is about preventing illness or disease before it occurs and may include interventions such as health education and immunisation. Secondary prevention seeks to arrest or retard existing conditions through timely treatment to minimise complications as well as maintain health and early detection.

primary care

An episode of care for diagnosis, treatment of illness or disease management, as well as an entry point into the health system for people who are seeking help.

primary health care

Community-based services based on the social model of health, guided by principles of equity, acceptability, cultural competence, affordability and universalism, and a commitment to community and health development. Primary health care incorporates essential health care made accessible at a cost a country and community can afford with methods that are practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable as well as essential services for health including water and sanitation, housing, shelter, freedom from violence, and adequate food.

psychosocial

The inter-relatedness of social perspectives with behavioural and psychological factors and an emphasis on more upstream interventions.

public health

A social and political concept aimed at improving health, prolonging life and improving the quality of life among whole populations through health promotion, disease prevention and other forms of health intervention.

public health systems

Organisations and arrangements by governments to manage policies, programs and services to protect and promote health, and prevent disease and illness.

public policy

Actions developed by governments and public authorities to address a given problem or an interrelated set of problems.

relative poverty

How wealth is distributed between the members of a society, and not about the absolute amounts held by each person. Thus a person could earn a lot, but relative to everyone else in the society earn very little (compare absolute poverty).

risk factor

A variable that potentially increases the susceptibility of developing a condition or disease. For example, physical inactivity and social isolation are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

social determinants of health

The fundamental structures of social hierarchy and the social, economic and politically determined conditions that result in good health, ill health or disease, and in which people grow, live, work and age.

social exclusion

A social determinant of health related to systematic discrimination and exclusion from community life.

social inclusion

A method for social justice that is about increasing opportunities for people, especially the most disadvantaged, to engage and participate in community life.

social justice

An ethical concept based on human rights, equity, unfairness and inequity in society.

social marketing

The communication of key messages designed to influence behaviour change towards socially desirable goals.

social model of health/socio- ecological approach

An approach to health promotion and community development that addresses the broader determinants of health and acts to reduce social inequalities and injustices, with an emphasis on community engagement and participation and empowerment of individuals and communities.

strategies

Also known as interventions, these are methods that are used, or actions that will be taken, to achieve the objectives of a program.

supportive environments

For health offer people protection from threats to health, and enable people to expand their capabilities and develop self reliance in health. They encompass where people live, their local community, their home, where they work and play, access to resources for health, and opportunities for empowerment (WHO $1991$).

sustainability

Refers to continuation of aspects of health promotion such as issues, programs, changes or partnerships; sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

victim blaming

An attitude that holds a person wholly or partially responsible for their own health problems or social distress.

vital statistics

Life expectancy, morbidity and mortality rates for the general population, plus infant mortality and maternal mortality rates.