Module 1: Public Health – The Population Health Approach (Vocabulary Flashcards)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms and definitions from the lecture on Public Health – The Population Health Approach. Each card presents a term and a concise definition to aid review and exam preparation.

Public health

The broad range of environmental, social, and economic determinants of health, plus interventions and public policies that affect health—not limited to traditional clinical care.

Population health

A broader concept of public health emphasizing collaboration across professions and sectors, using evidence-based analysis of determinants and interventions to preserve and improve health throughout the life cycle.

Three general categories of approaches to population health

Health care, traditional public health, and public policy interventions.

Health care (as an approach to population health)

Systems for delivering one-on-one health services, including prevention, cure, palliation, and rehabilitation.

Traditional public health

Group- and community-based interventions aimed at health promotion and disease prevention, including control of hazards and environmental health.

Public policy interventions

Interventions that improve the built environment, education, nutrition, or address disparities through policy changes; may have health impacts beyond health-specific aims.

Healthy People 2030

U.S. government framework that defines social determinants of health and provides life-stage health indicators to guide national health objectives.

Social determinants of health

The conditions in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health and quality of life.

Healthy People 2030 framework domains

Domains include Education access and quality, Healthcare access and quality, Economic stability, Social and community context, and Neighborhood/building environment.

Social ecological model

A framework showing multi-level influences on health: individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels.

Big GEMS

Behavior, Infection, Genetics, Geography, Environment, Medical care, and Socioeconomic-cultural factors—key determinants of health.

Determinants vs contributory causes

Contributory causes are immediate causes of disease; determinants are underlying factors (the 'causes of causes') that bring about disease.

Demographic transition

Describes how falling childhood death rates and longer life spans change population size and age structure.

Epidemiological/public health transition

As societies develop, different disease patterns emerge; noncommunicable conditions may become more prominent.

Nutritional transition

Shift from diets that are nutrient-deficient to highly processed diets rich in fats, sugars, and salt.

Equality vs. Equity

Equality means treating everyone the same; equity means fairness by addressing disparities to achieve similar health outcomes.

High-risk approach

Targets those with the highest probability of disease to bring their risk closer to the rest of the population.

Improving-the-average approach

Targets the entire population to reduce risk for everyone.

Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) by life stage

Examples include infant deaths (infants), tobacco use and obesity (children/adolescents), major depressive episodes (adolescents), binge drinking, colorectal screening, and cigarette smoking (adults).

Approaches to Population Health (summary)

Involve healthcare delivery, traditional public health, and public policy interventions to address health at a population level.

Full Spectrum of Population Health

A conceptual diagram showing population health, healthcare systems, traditional public health, and social policy as interconnected components.