CPH-Introduction-LECTURE-NOTES

Public Health Overview

• Definition: Public Health is the science and art of:

  • Preventing disease

  • Prolonging life

  • Promoting physical health and efficiency through organized community efforts and informed choices.

• Key Organizers: Involves private and public communities, individuals for environmental sanitation, control of infections, education on personal hygiene, and medical services for diagnosis and prevention (Winslow, 1920).

Major Concepts of Public Health

1. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

2. People’s Participation Towards Self-Reliance:

   • Active involvement in decision-making processes: assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

Characteristics of Public Health

1. Focuses on Preventive rather than Curative Aspects.

2. Addresses issues at the Population Level rather than individual health concerns.

Historical Context

• Dr. CE Winslow: Described public health as organized community efforts to prevent diseases and promote health.

• Purdon: Emphasized survival of the human species and the prevention of debilitating conditions.

• Nightingale: Advocated for using the patient’s environment to assist recovery, emphasizing individual reparative capability.

• WHO Definition: Considers health as a person's capacity to maintain balance physically and psychologically.

Aspects of Health

• Physical Health: Condition that enables a person to maintain a strong and healthy body.

• Mental Health: Reflects how individuals feel, think, and control emotions.

• Social Health: Involves how people feel and act toward others.

Definition of Disease

• Disease: Failure of the body’s defense mechanisms to maintain equilibrium against disturbances.

Stages of Disease

1. Pre-Disease Stage

2. Latent Stage (Asymptomatic)

3. Symptomatic Stage

Risk Factors for Disease

1. Biologic and Behavioral Factors

2. Environmental Factors

3. Immunologic Factors

4. Nutritional Factors

5. Genetic Factors

6. Social and Spiritual Factors

Determinants of Health

• Income and Social Status

• Education

• Physical Environment

• Employment and Working Conditions

• Social Support Networks

• Culture

• Genetics

• Personal Behavior and Coping Skills

• Health Services

• Gender

Division of Public Health

1. Epidemiology

2. Biostatistics

3. Health Services/Policy

4. Health Administration

5. Environmental Health

6. Occupational Health

7. Social and Behavioral Health

8. Nutrition

Steps in Public Health Approach

1. Define the health problem.

2. Identify associated risk factors.

3. Develop and test community-level interventions.

4. Implement interventions for population health improvement.

5. Monitor interventions for effectiveness.

History of Public Health in the Philippines

Changes in Health Scenario

1. Mortality and morbidity declined with setbacks in the late 1970s to mid-1980s.

2. Progress made in controlling infectious diseases through therapies.

3. Preventive health programs lacked coverage, with 60% of medically attended deaths lacking reliable access to care.

4. 1980 PHC strategy focused on maternal and child care, disease control, nutrition, and family planning.

Pre-American Occupation

• Public health initiatives began at the old Franciscan Convent, leading to significant healthcare developments.

Key Historical Developments

• Spanish Period:

  • Creation of boards for vaccinations and health.

  • Establishment of hospitals and medical education.

• American Period:

  • Efforts to control epidemics and communicable diseases, establishment of health laws and institutions.

• Commonwealth Period:

  • Significant advances in public health strategies and education, leading to the establishment of key public health institutions.

• Japanese Occupation:

  • Public health activities were severely disrupted.

• Post-WWII Reforms:

  • Improvements in vector control and healthcare infrastructures, initiatives supported by international bodies.

• Martial Law Years:

  • Restructuring and reforms in health systems, focusing on primary healthcare and nutrition.

• EDSA Revolution & Aftermath:

  • Shifts back to the Department of Health, focus on improving health outcomes and public trust.

Key Legislative Initiatives

1. Laws aimed at improving health services and community health initiatives during various administrations.

2. Reodicas’ Seven Strategy Program tackling major health issues through immunization, nutrition, and family planning.

Health Models Defined

• High-Level Wellness Grid (A. Dunn): Intersects health and the environment across a continuum from wellness to death.

• Illness-Wellness Continuum (B. Travis): Highlights health awareness and education's role in improving well-being.

• Agent-Host-Environment Model: Emphasizes the interplay of causative factors, host traits, and environmental conditions.

• Health Belief Model: Connects individual beliefs regarding susceptibility and benefits to health actions taken.

• Evolutionary-Based Model: Considers how illness and health contribute to societal viability and individual functionality.

• Health Promotion Model: Focused on enhancing overall wellness through societal factors influencing health outcomes.