Prevention

Question 1

define public health

Answer 1

The science and art of preening disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society

Question 2

what were the top ten public health achievements from the US

Answer 2

• vaccination
• motor vehicle safety
• safer workplaces
• control of infectious diseases
• decline in deaths from coronary hear disease and stroke
• safer and healthier foods
• healthier mothers and babies
• family planning
• fluoridation of drinking water
• recognition of tobacco as a health hazard

Question 3

describe the primary level of prevention

Answer 3

• primary: interventions that attempt to prevent disease form occurring ie. reduce the incidence of disease

Question 4

what are the two strategies for primary prevention

Answer 4

High risk (individual) strategy:
- individuals in special need are identified, and then the prevention strategy is applied to those people
Population (mass) strategy:
- aims to reduce the health risks of the entire population

Question 5

what are the advantages and disadvantages of the population/mass strategy?

Answer 5

Advantages:
- radical
- large potential for whole population
- behaviourally appropriate (ie. establishes norms)

Disadvantages:
- small benefit to individuals
- poor motivation of individuals
- benefit-to-risk ratio may be low for individuals

Question 6

what are the advantages and disadvantages of the high risk/individual strategy?

Answer 6

Advantages:
- appropriate to individuals
- individual motivation
- clinician motivation
- favourable benefit-risk ratio for individuals

Disadvantages:
- need to identify individuals
- might be against population norms
- can be hard to sustain behavioural change

Question 7

what is the prevention paradox?

Answer 7

A large number of people at small risk may give rise to more cases of disease than the small number who are at high risk.
- a preventative measure that brings large benefit to the community may offer little to each participating individual

eg. systolic BP in a population. If all of the individuals lower theirs a little bit then they get little gain, but overall the whole population sees a larger change (graph shifts to the left)

Question 8

describe the secondary level of prevention

Answer 8

• secondary: reduce impact of disease by shortening its duration, reducing severity and preventing recurrance
• cure, or stop progression once condition has been initiated
• may involve earlier diagnosis and treatment

Question 9

describe the tertiary level of prevention

Answer 9

• tertiary: reduce the number or impact of complications; improve rehabilitation