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Chapter 1 Notes Objectives: •Define Public Health •Demonstrate the core functions of public health •List the primary areas within public health •Link public health activities with levels of prevention Notes: What is Public Health? A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  The science and the art of ____preventing disease_________, _prolonging life__________ and __________promoting physical health____________ and efficacy (can be found on pg 4) What are the three core functions of Public health? Add additional detail below on what each area focuses on 1. Assessment- knowing what needs to be done Constitutes the diagnostic functions, collecting, assembling, analyzing, making data available on the health of a population 2. Policy development- being part of the solution. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues Mobilize community partners to identify and solve problems Develop policies and plans that support health

3. Assurance-doing what needs to be done to make sure it happens Enforce laws and regulations that protect health Link people with services Assure a competent public health workforce Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of health services. Public health Vs Medical Care Patient is the community Diagnosis the health of the community Treatment includes new polices and interventions Goal is to prevent disease and disability Medical Patient is the Individual Diagnosis what is happening with an individual Medications, tests, etc. Goal is it cure What are the main disciplines within Public Health? 1. Epidemiology- basic science of public health a. Study of epidemics i. Focuses on human populations, usually starting with an outbreak of disease in a community.

ii. Aims to control the spread of infectious disease iii. Seeks causes of chronic disease and ways to limit harmful exposures Epidemiologists are mainstays of local public health departments. 2. Statistics a. Government collects health data on the population i. These numbers are diagnostic tools for the health of the community . ii. The science of statistics is used to calculate risks and benefits. Statistical analysis is an integral part of any Epidemiological study seeking the cause of a disease Clinical study testing the effectiveness of a new drug.

3. Biomedical Sciences a. Control of infectious disease was a major public health focus in the 19th and early 20th centuries b. Biomedical research is important to understanding control of new diseases and noninfectious diseases i. Chronic disease ii. Genetics 4. Environmental Health Science a. A classic component of public health i. Much of the public health improvement in the US in the 20th century was due to improved environmental health. b. Health is affected by exposure to environmental factors i. Air quality ii. Water quality iii. Solid and hazardous wastes iv. Safe food and drugs v. Global environmental change c. Thousands of new chemicals enter the environment every year 5. Social and Behavioral Science a. Behavior is now the leading concern of factors that affect people’s health. i. A theory of health behavior is that social environment affects people behavior. 1. Major health threats are tobacco, poor diet, and physical inactivity and injuries. 6. Health Policy and Management a. This area of study examines the role of medical care in publie health. b. Us has a high percentage of population without health insurance. i. These people often lack access to medical care. c. Quality of medical care can be measured and is often questionable. d. Medical care has eaten up profits that could be used more beneficially for education, housing, and the environment.

What are the areas of public health intervention? Include a definition and examples. Primary- prevention prevents an illness or injury from occurring at all

Secondary- prevention minimizes the severity of the disease or injury once it has occurred

Tertiary- prevention minimizes disability by providing medical care and rehabilitation services.

What are the 5 steps to a public health approach? 1. Define the health problem. 2. Identify risk factors associated with the problem 3. Develop and test community-level interventions to control or prevent the cause of the problem 4. Implement interventions to improve the health of the population 5. Monitor interventions to assess their effectiveness. What is the chain of causation? What are the three areas that it includes? Give examples of each area. 1. Host a. Age, sex, race, genetic profile, previous diseases, immune status, religion, customs, occupation, martial status, family background.

2. Environment a. Temperature, humidity, altitude b. Crowding, housing, neighborhood c. Water, milk, food d. Radiation, pollution, noise

3. Agent a. b. c. d.

Biologic (bacteria, viruses) Chemical (poison , alcohol, smoke) Physical (trauma, radiation, fire) Nutritional (lack, excess)

Chain of causation Agent Host Environment This is a traditional approach to dealing with infectious diseases Interventions can focus on any of these targets. This model can also be used for other kinds of illnesses or injuries....