Public Health Exam 2

ways infection diseases were eradicated by the 1960s

immunization, antibiotics, purification of water, pasteurization of milk, etc

types of infectious agents

bacteria, viruses, parasites

bacteria

TB, cholera, tetanus, syphilis, strep

viruses

smallpox, measles, HIV, rabies, COVID

parasites

malaria, tapeworms, roundworms

means of transmission

water, food, vectors, aerosols, fecal, oral

interupt chain of infection

antibiotics, elemination of reservoir, prevent transmission (handwashing)

public measures to help prevent infectious diseases

epidemiologic surveillance, contact tracing, immunization 

herd immunity

sufficient amount of population is immune to an infection/disease (through vaccine or prior illness) and makes it not likely to spread from person to person

HIV

virus attacks immune system, spreads through sexual contact, blood, in utero, no cure

AIDS

medical condition, immune system is too weak to fight

influenza

always mutating, virus, epidemic of 1918-1919 killed 20-40 million people

TB

leading cause of infectious disease worldwide, HIV victims at higher risk, transmitted airborn

top 2 causes of death

1 - heart disease 2 - cancer

Type 1 diabetes

insulin production failure, diagnosed usually earlier in life

type 2 diabetes

insulin resistance, usually from obesity

teratogens

substance or agent that causes birth defects

infectious pathogen

rubella, congenital syphilis

environment chemicals

minimata, japan

drugs

accutane, alcohol, cocaine, heroine

reduces risk of spina bifida 

taking folic acid 

leading causes of death

diagnoses at time of death (combo of genetic & external factors)

actual leading causes of death

underlying causes of death/root causes (often preventable, targets for public health intervention)

more leading causes of death in U.S

tobacco and diet/physical inactivity

public health behavioral interventions focus on

education and regulation

education

informs the public about healthy and unhealthy behavior

regulation

regulate health behavior by passing and enforcing laws and policies meant to prevent them

important predictor of health is socioeconomic status (SES)

income, education, occupation status/employment

stress

mortality increases after death of spouse, loss of job, divorce. increased risk of heart disease, lower SES

3 health behavior models

health belief model, self-efficacy, socio-ecological model

health belief model

considers an individuals perceptions and beliefs about a threat and how it relates to them and their behavior

self-efficacy

sense of having control one’s life, increased by previous successful performance, increased by seseing others successfully perform

socioecological model

describes five levels of influence that determine health-related behavior

5 levels of socioecological model

intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, public policy

intrapersonal level

psychology

interpersonal level

family, friends, coworkers

insititutional level

school, workplace

community level

churches, community organizations

public policy level

government regulations

nicotine

stimulant, highly addictive, raises BP/heart rate, damages cilia

“you’ve come a long way baby” marketed to woman worldwide brand

virginia slims

plain packaging

regulation of tobacco advertising pictures of cancer etc. (especially effective in Australia)

who does taxation of cigarettes primarily affect

young adults and low income people, by raising the tax it helps reduce the number of smokers bc the price is higher so consumption becomes lower

E-cigarettes

not really safe alternatives, still addictive, bad for health and expensive 

reservoir 

place where a pathogen lives and multiplies before invading a noninfected person

animal is the suspected reservoir for the ebola virus

fruit bat

teratogen

substance or agent that causes birth defects

down syndrome

genetic condition caused by having an extra copy of chromosome 21

changing aspects of this is a more effective strategy for modifying health behaviors than changing an individual’s behavior

environment

bullying prevention interventions that target schools are seeking change at this level of influence in the ecological model 

community level