Assessment Questions

Test and refresh your knowledge with these assessment questions:

1.What is epidemiology and how does it contribute to public health?

Answer:

It is the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health. It has also been defined as ‘the study of health and disease in populations’.

2.Identify the main types of epidemiological studies and their contribution to understanding of distribution of disease.

Answer:

The main types are: Descriptive, Analytical, Intervention. Within each type there are a number of sub-groups:

  • Descriptive epidemiology:
  • Using routinely available data to try to explain patterns of disease
  • Cross-sectional surveys: to collect information about the health status of the population, and the proportion of the population affected, i.e. the prevalence
  • Analytical epidemiology:
  • Ecological studies: disease data collected on whole populations and compared with other factors in the population which could be causal
  • Cross-sectional studies: (see above) aims to identify prevalence of disorders and association with various factors
  • Case–control: one group of participants (with condition) is compared with group of controls to see if variables differ across groups
  • Cohort studies: can be retrospective or prospective, two groups are similar except in relation to characteristic being studied
  • Intervention epidemiology:
  • Clinical studies: examining effect of intervention on progress and outcome. One group has active treatment, the other a placebo intervention
  • Community studies: examining effect of intervention on community

3.Discuss what is meant by a double-blind controlled trial and their contribution to understanding the distribution of disease.

Answer:

Participants are randomly assigned to a group to receive the intervention or a placebo. Double-blind means that neither the participant not the person managing the trial knows who is receiving the active intervention.

Results from the two groups are analysed independently and compared thus enabling the identification of different factors influencing disease distribution and their effects.

4.Define and briefly explain public health and the importance of the three areas of public health practice.

Answer:

The WHO definition is ‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.’ It is public and focused on enhancing the health of the whole population. It involves government, public, private and voluntary sector organisations contributing to health maintenance, health behaviour and status.

The three areas of public health are:

i.Health protection: reducing exposure to factors that can lead to ill-health

ii.Health improvement: improving health through enabling healthy lifestyle as well as reducing poverty, promoting education, housing, employment, etc

iii.Service improvement: advances in treatment evaluated; service planning promotes introduction of healthcare developments; clinical governance promotes clinical excellence

5.Explain why public health is valuable and evaluate five examples of public health achievements.

Answer:

It has a broad focus on social and economic causes of health and disease in populations, as well as a narrower focus on treatment of ill-health. Examples are:

  • Vaccinations for some infectious diseases enabling a number of diseases to be controlled
  • Healthier mothers and babies promoting enhanced health of the population
  • Safer food and water is really importantt in minimising food poisoning and related disease
  • Recognition of tobacco as a health risk leading to reduced smoking and improving the health of the population
  • Family planning that promotes reduction of the numbers in the population.

6.Analyse the importance of health promotion in increasing health of the population

Answer:

Enables people to control their own health. Promoting interventions to benefit and protect individual people’s health and quality of life, preventing causes of ill-health. Clearly this is important in reducing the care needed to deal with ill-health.

7.Identify and evaluate the main elements of public health.

Answer:

  • Good governance for health: health becoming central to government policy and being considered in taking all decisions and policies to limit illness and injuries. This increases the likelihood of gaining public support.
  • Health literacy: providing knowledge, abilities and understanding to be able to make choices to promote health thus enabling members of the population to contribute to appropriate health-related choices.
  • Healthy cities: urban planning and measures promote community health and primary and emergency healthcare, reducing factors influencing health disorders.

8.Discuss the importance of global health and the major groups of issues in promoting worldwide health.

Answer:

Global health has been defined as ‘an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving health equity for all people worldwide’. Key issues of relevance here are as follows:

  • Inequalities: poverty is a major factor influencing the quality of health within and between developed and under-developed countries. Social, psychological, material and biological factors affect behaviours and status in society.
  • Challenges: planning to enhance health of a country requires developing:
  • Infrastructure: health-related and educational developments, roads, power infrastructure.
  • Population growth: uncontrolled this leads to increased need for resources. Family planning is essential.
  • Agriculture and livestock: to provide nutritional resources and family support.
  • Health disorders: enhancing global health requires collaboration and funding.
  • Infectious diseases: 61% of human pathogens are zoonoses (transmitted from animals to humans), others are part of the microbiome and sometimes become pathogenic.
  • Non-communicable diseases: cause major part (59%) of mortality rate. Include cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and cancers, often linked with obesity.