SPH 201 Exam 1 Review Sheet
What is Public Health?
Definition: Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized efforts of society.
Purpose: Its purpose is to improve health and quality of life through prevention, education, and interventions.
How is Public Health Different from Medical Care?
Focus: Public health emphasizes population-level health and prevention, while medical care focuses on individual patient treatment.
Approach: Public health involves community involvement and policy-making, whereas medical care involves clinical practices and individual patient interactions.
Three Levels of Prevention
Primary Prevention: Aims to prevent disease before it occurs (e.g., vaccination).
Secondary Prevention: Aims to detect and address an existing disease early (e.g., screening).
Tertiary Prevention: Aims to reduce the impact of the disease (e.g., rehabilitation).
Core Functions of Public Health
Assessment: Monitoring health and understanding health issues within the community.
Policy Development: Informing, educating, and empowering people about health issues.
Assurance: Ensuring that services are available to those in need.
10 Essential Public Health Services
Monitor health status.
Diagnose and investigate health problems.
Inform, educate, and empower people about health.
Mobilize community partnerships.
Develop policies and plans that support health efforts.
Enforce laws and regulations.
Link people to health services.
Ensure a competent public health workforce.
Evaluate health services.
Research for new insights and solutions.
Controversy in Public Health
Understand and provide examples of the four controversies in public health:
Market Justice vs Social Justice: Market justice focuses on individual rights, while social justice addresses broader societal needs.
Health Equity: Define health equity as the absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups.
Effective Public Health Interventions: Identify and evaluate interventions with the highest impact.
Moral Behavior: Understand ethical dilemmas in public health interventions.
Legal Basis for Public Health
Federalism: The division of powers between state and federal government regarding health.
Public health rights: Both levels have roles; states manage public health agencies while federal laws provide overarching regulations.
Responsibilities: States are responsible for local health care policies; federal government focuses on national health standards.
Organizations Involved in Public Health
Examples include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and various local health departments.
Intro to Epidemiology
Difference Between Epidemiology & Medical Care
Epidemiology focuses on population health and disease distribution, while medical care focuses on individual treatment.
Components of the Epidemiology Definition
Study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states.
Ethics in Epidemiology
Ethical considerations include informed consent, confidentiality, and the protection of vulnerable populations.
Epidemiology Measures
Incidence and prevalence rates; understanding these metrics is critical for evaluating public health outcomes.
Importance of Epidemiology
Helps identify risk factors and causes of health conditions in populations, guiding public health policies and interventions.
Key Terms in Epidemiology
Basic concepts include morbidity, mortality, risk, and outbreak.
Infectious Diseases
Examples of Infectious Diseases
Includes diseases like influenza, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS; they have historically shaped societal health practices.
Herd Immunity
Definition: A form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population becomes immune.
Outbreak Investigations
Conducted systematically to control and prevent disease spread by identifying sources and transmission pathways.
Chronic and Genetic Diseases
Prevention Strategies
Focus on lifestyle changes and early detection to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Leading Causes of Death
Understand true causes linked to socioeconomic factors, lifestyle choices, and access to care.
Apply the 10 essential public health services for all chronic disease prevention.
Types of Public Health Interventions
Education: Raising awareness and knowledge of health issues.
Regulation: Policies to enforce health standards.
Prohibition: Restricting harmful substances or behaviors.
Poverty and Health
Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN)
Define: Factors that affect health outcomes, such as housing stability and food access.
Examples of HRSN include lack of access to transportation and quality healthcare.
Social Determinants of Health (SDH)
Define: The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect health.
Understand how HRSN and SDH influence health initiatives.
Public Health Tools for Addressing HRSN
Tools include community engagement, policy advocacy, and resource allocation to underserved populations.
Health Behaviors
Successful Interventions
Identify behaviors that can reduce disease risk (e.g., smoking cessation, promotion of physical activity).
Health Behavior Models
Health Belief Model: Assesses individual perceptions of health risks.
Transtheoretical Model: Stages of change in health behavior.
Social Cognitive Theory: Emphasizes observational learning in behavior change.
Social Ecological Model: Considers individual and contextual factors influencing health behaviors.
Application of Health Behavior Models
Understand the framework, utility, and limitations of each model in influencing public health outcomes.