Public Health

Vital Rates and Epidemiologic Transition

• Stages of Epidemiologic Transition:

  • Pestilence and Famine

  • Receding Pandemics

  • Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases

  • Delayed Degenerative Diseases and Emerging Infections

Determinants of Health

• Categories:

  • Biological: Age, Sex, Genetics

  • Environmental: Outdoor/Indoor Air Quality, Water Quality, Toxic Substances

  • Socioeconomic: Education, Income, Employment, Housing

  • Behavioral: Tobacco Use, Alcohol Consumption, Physical Activity

Leading Causes of Death in the US (2019)

• By Age Group:

  • Under 1: Congenital anomalies

  • 1-4: Unintentional injuries

  • 5-14: Unintentional injuries, Malignant neoplasms

  • 15-24: Unintentional injuries, Suicide

  • 25-44: Malignant neoplasms, Suicide

  • 45-64: Diseases of heart, Malignant neoplasms

  • 65+: Diseases of heart, Chronic lower respiratory diseases

Tobacco Use Statistics (2015)

• Current smoking rates declined from 20.9% to 15.1% among US adults.

• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death (480,000 deaths/year).

Alcohol Consumption in the US (2023)

• 84.9% of adults aged 18+ had consumed alcohol at some point.

• Binge drinking rates (2022): Males 28.5% vs. Females 30.5%.

Physical Activity and Diet

• Prevalence of physical inactivity is 25.3%.

• Over 1/3 of youth (aged 2-19) consume fast food daily (36.3%).

Socioeconomic Factors

• Health disparities based on education and poverty levels.

Environmental Factors

• Key contributors include air and water quality, built environments, and climate.

Public Health Framework

• Levels of Impact: Individual, Interpersonal, Organizational, Community, and Societal.

• Frameworks for evaluating interventions in population health outcomes.