What are the main features of public health?
- science & art
- prolonging life and promoting health
- organised response
- protect and promote health
- effective strategies, interventions and services
How does this differ from clinical practice?
Clinical practice is (mainly) treatment focused and based on the individual patient, while public health is focused on the public at large
What are 3 factors illustrating why public health matters from the study of TB mortality rates?
- illustrates the importance of thinking about the health of the populations rather than individuals
- Health of populations has significantly improved over the last one & a half centuries
- Show the different influences on public health over that period
What are some causes of this improved health?
- clean water
- improved sanitation
- sewage management
- improve overall standards of living (eg diet & nutritional status)
- Advances in the field of medicine
What does public health proponents argue about vaccines?
Vaccines helped maintain mortality rates, that were already decreasing before they were introduced
What is epidemiology?
The study of the determinants and distribution of disease in different population groups
What is epidemiological transition?
Describes a changing pattern in the distribution and determinants of health and disease in human populations over time
What was the first stage of epidemiological transition?
- Pre 19th century: Age of Pestilence & Famine
- Expected life: 20-40 years
- Major causes of death are: malnutrition, infectious disease, complications of pregnancy & childbirth; injury
What was the second stage of epidemiological transition?
- 19th century & early 20th: Age of the Receding Pandemics
- Mortality rates declines, with the rate of decline accelerating as epidemic peaks decrease in frequency
- Average life expectancy increases
- Population growth is sustained & begins to be exponential
What was the third stage of epidemiological transition?
- Mid 20th century & later: Age of Degenerate & Chronic Disease
- Mortality still decreasing: fertility & infant survival crucial
- Later -> decrease fertility & increasing in ageing populations (major causes of death to due with age & lifestyle)
Is there a fourth stage of epidemiological transition?
- Increase in life expectancy due to delayed on set
OR - Decrease in life expectancy due to human-made disease & new disease -> modern life style increase chances of spread
When do they consider new public health to have begun?
1970s+
What is the focus of new public health?
- Education services, health promotion, empowerment & increase in community involvement
- Health & health promotion
What is the Ottwa Charter of Health Promotion 1986?
- Individual -> Lifestyle modification
- System -> healthy public policy
- Thus, empowering individuals & improving communities
What are the key aspects of Ottwa Charter of Health Promotion 1986?
- > The 5 Pillars
- The Development of Health Public Policy
- The creation of supportive environments
- Strengthening community action
- The development of personal skills
- Re-orientation of Health Services
What are the principles of modern public health?
- Prevention
- Social justice & fair distribution
- Equity (for the vulnerable & disadvantaged)
- Balance between science & society
- Dynamic Agenda
- Political
What are some functions of public health?
- Prevention, surveillance and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Health promotion
- Occupational health & safety
- Public Health research
- Specific services (school health, maternal & child health, family planning services, emergency disaster management, public health laboratories)
- Environmental quality & safety
- Public health legislation & regulation
- Public health management (where resources are allocated)
What is the public health ‘toolbox’ also known as?
Public Health Sciences
What are public health sciences? Outline
Are the body of scientific disciplines focused on investigating and describing the distribution and determinants of health and disease in the population, and identifying the effective response strategy
What does epidemiology study?
The determinants, distribution, and control of disease in populations
- both communicable and non-communicable disease
Identifies risk factors of disease
- Focus on scientific, robust study designs & analysis
What is an example of an epidemiological study?
- Dr John Snow
- British Doctors Study (Doll & Hill) - tobacco smoking on lung cancer
What is the study of demography?
- Study of human populations
- Helps us to understand growth and decline of populations, the impact of fertility, migration and mortality
- Help us plan public health interventions and provide health services
What are some examples of the Population health sciences?
- Epidemiology
- Demography
- Statistics
- Economics
- Sociology & Psychology (social determinants)
- Ethics
- Policy
- Management
- Evaluation
What are some examples of public health organisations?
-WHO
UN
