factors affecting and variations in health status

Question 1

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - smoking

Answer 1

• Cardiovascular disease - smoking reduces airflow to our blood and therefore increases heart rate and blood pressure. Smoking also increases atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of heat attacks. This increases the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and the mortality rates associated with the disease
• cancer - the chemicals within cigarettes can can increase tumors and ultimately lead to cancer. Therefore, mortality rates are increased as a result of cancer. It also damages cells within the lungs increasing lung cancer rates.
• prenatal/infant - tobacco reduces blood flow to the infant , increasing the risk of low birth weight and underdeveloped immune systems. They are ore likely to suffer form premature death, increasing the under 5 mortality rates.
• asthma - smoking damages airways causing them to become swollen and narrow. This increases the prevalence of asthma and thus increases mortality rates as a result of asthma attacks
  respiratory diseases - smoking damages airways, reducing oxygen flow to the lungs. This increases the chance of developing respiratory diseases and infectious diseases, resulting in increased mortality rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• infectious diseases - smoking can damage immune functioning, increasing infectious diseases pneumonia

Question 2

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - alcohol

Answer 2

• High BMI - alcohol contains kilojoules and so increases the chance of gaining weight leading to increased morbidity of obesity.
• cancer - the risk of cancer in the mouth, throat, stomach and bowel, liver and breast is increases with alcohol consumption. Cancers are the leading cause of premature death, contributing to mortality rates and DALY.
• liver disease - alcohol is filtered in the liver and so can increase the chance of liver scaring and reduced liver functioning. This increases morbidity rates of liver diseases such as cirrohosis.
• mental health - alcohol is a depressant and can lead to symptoms of depression. his increases injuries as a result of self harm and mortality rates of suicide.
• foetal problems - alcohol consumption while pregnant increases the chance of the infant being born prenatally, with a low birth wight or with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
• injuries - alcohol can decrease judgement and motor skills, increasing the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours such as drink driving. This increases the prevalence of injuries and mortality rates of road accidents.

Question 3

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - high body mass index (BMI)

Answer 3

• cardiovascular disease - high BMI puts strain on the heart, increasing blood pressure and cholesterol increasing atherosclerosis. This increases rates of cardiovascular disease.
• type 2 diabetes - high BMI can increase fatty acids and inflamation, leading to insulin resistance. This leads to impaired glucose regulation, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality of type 2 diabetes
• mental health - high BMI can increase depression and anxiety.
• osteoporosis - High BMI puts strain on joints causing cartilage to wear down. This increases YLD due to osteoporosis.
• Cancer
• type 2 diabetes
• arthritis and osteoporosis
• asthma

Question 4

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - under consumption of vegetables and fruit

Answer 4

• high BMI - Underconsumption of vegetables may result in increases consumption of other energy dense foods, increasing BMI.
• cancer - underconsumption of the antioxidants in vegetables can increase the chance of free radicals which can in turn, increase morbidity and mortality rates in relation to cancer and CVD.
• neural tube defects - nutrients from vegetables such as folate play a role in the development of the nervous system. Underconsumption of folate can lead to an underdevelopment of the nervous system and thus neural tube defect which contributes to morbidity and mortality among infants.

Question 5

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - under consumption of dairy

Answer 5

• osteoporosis - dairy products provide calcium which is essential for strengthening bones. Underconsumption of it can cause weak and fragile bones, increasing rates of osteoporosis.
• dental caries - underconsumption od dairy can lead to calcium deficiencies, resulting in tooth decay and cavities. this increases the prevalence of dental carries.

Question 6

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - high intake of fat

Answer 6

• high BMI- overconsumption of any type of fat can lead to excessive weight gain, increasing obesity
• cardiovascular disease - saturated and trans fats can lead to an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which gets stored in the walls of blood vessels, narrowing arteries (atherosclerosis). this increases the risk of cardeovascular disease.
• type 2 diabetes - increased fat can lead to change in cell composition leading to impaired glucose regulation. This increases type 2 diabetes.
• Cancer - colorectal cancer

Question 7

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - high intake of salt

Answer 7

• osteoporosis - excessive salt can lead to calcium being secreted into the urine, leading to calcium deficiency. This results in higher rates of osteoporosis.
• cardiovascular disease - increased blood volume and hypertension, causing water to be pulled into the blood vessels, increasing blood pressure. this increases the prevalence of CVD

Question 8

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - high intake of sugar

Answer 8

• high body mass - excessive sugar consumption leads to it being stored at fat tissue, causing weight gain and increasing the prevalence of obesity.
• dental carries - sugar provides a food source for bacteria which can contribute to dental decay and increases the prevalence of dental carries.

Question 9

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - low intake of fibre

Answer 9

• high BMI - underconsumption of fibre can increase consumption of other energy dense foods contributing to weight gain
• colorectal cancer - adds bult to faeces, reducing the risk of cancerous cells developing
• type 2 diabetes - fibre reduces absorption of glucose and helps regulate blood sugar levels
• cardiovascular disease - fibre reduces the levels of LDL, thus reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease

Question 10

factors contributing to Australia’s health status - low intake of iron

Answer 10

anaemia - iron is a core component of haemoglobin which helps carry oxygen around the body. This increases the prevalence of anaemia.

Question 11

biological factors contributing to variations in population groups

Answer 11

factors that stem from the body including its systems and functioning
- body weight - high BMI makes individuals more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, respiratory problems, low self esteem and some cancers
- blood pressure - causes hypertension increasing the risk of kidney failure, cardiovascular disease or stroke
- blood cholesterol - excessive fate intake can lead to high levels of low density lipoproteins (LDP) which can get stuck in blood vessel walls, increasing cardiovascular disease
- glucose regulation - can cause glucose to be prevented from being absorbed into the cells, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- birth weight - low birthweight can result in a baby being more susceptible to infectious disease as a result of underdeveloped immune system
- genetics - sex, hormones, hereditary diseases

Question 12

sociocultural factors contributing to variations in population groups

Answer 12

• socioeconomic status: income, education and occupation
• unemployment: financial position, mental health and access to resources
  social connections and social exclusions: people fail to actively participate in society. - mental health, homelessness, disabilities
• social isolation: individuals are not in regular contact with others.
  cultural norms: gender stereotypes, diet, medicine, alcohol
• access to healthcare : cultural and financial
  food security: having reliable access to nutrition, safe and culturally appropriate foods.
  early life experiences: behaviours of women while pregnant, positive parenting, good diet

Question 13

environmental factors contributing to variations in health status

Answer 13

• housing: ventilation, hygiene, safety, sleeping, overcrowding
• work environment : UV, dangerous conditions, hazards
• urban infrastructure: roads, network, transport, water networks, electricity, geographic location
  climate: UV, drought, bushfires

Question 14

Variations in health status between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous - biological factors

Answer 14

• Indigenous Australians experience overall lower health status compared to non-indigenous Australians.
• body weight: indigenous Australians are more likely to experience high BMI and thus suffer from weight related conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease
• birth weight - indigenous mothers are more likely to give birth to a baby with low birthweight and thus have increased U5 mortality rates
• blood pressure: indigenous Australians are more likely to experience hypertension and thus have higher prevalence of heart disease and stroke
• glucose regulation - indigenous Australians are more likely to experience impaired glucose regulation and thus suffer from type 2 diabetes and kidney disease

Question 15

Variations in health status between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous - sociocultural factors

Answer 15

• socioeconomic status: indigenous Australians are more likely to have lower levels of education and thus lower levels of health literacy. this increases their likelihood of making poor choices such as poor diet.
• unemployment: Indigenous Australians are more likely to experience lower levels of employment,
• early life experiences - indigenous mothers have higher rates of smoking and alcohol during pregnancy leading increased low birthweight and u5 mortality
• food security: lower incomes, lower health literacy
• social exclusion: indigenous Australians are more likely to experience social exclusion and thus have resulting mental health problems

Question 16

Variations in health status between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous - environmental factors

Answer 16

• housing: Indigenous Australians have poorer housing quality compared to non-indigenous Australians
• access to safe water: indigenous Australians especially those in remote communities have less access to safer water which increases infectious diseases
• infrastructure: infrastructure in outback and rural communities is poorer, resulting in increased prevalence of injury.

Question 17

Variations in health status between males and
females - biological factors

Answer 17

• genetics - males store more fat around their abdomen, increasing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. High levels of testosterone in males leads to more risky behaviours. Reduced oestrogen after menopause in women, can decrease bone density, increasing their risk of developing osteoporosis.
• body weight - high BMI is more prevalent in males compared to females, leading to increased rated of weight related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
• blood pressure - males tend to have higher blood pressure for ages under 75, resulting in higher rates of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease
• impaired glucose regulation - males have higher rates of impaired glucose regulation, increasing DALYs experienced as a result of type 2 diabetes

Question 18

Variations in health status between males and
females - sociocultural factors

Answer 18

• unemployment - the effects of unemployment are more significant fore males. An inability to work can lead to more psychological distress, impacting their mental health and wellbeing. they will have increased prevalence of depression.
• males have higher average incomes, therefore they have increased socioeconomic status.
• access to healthcare - males are less likely to access healthcare resulting in conditions going undiagnosed

Question 19

Variations in health status between males and
females - environmental factors

Answer 19

• work environment - males are more likely to work in industries such as farming, mining and trades. Therefore, they at risk of workplace injuries.
  they are also more likely to have outside jobs, therefore there is increased prevalence of skin cancer as a result of UV exposure.

Question 20

Variations in health status between high and low SES- biological factors

Answer 20

• body weight - low SES are more likely to be overweight. This results in high prevalence in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
• blood pressure - high blood pressure is more prevalent amount low SES
• glucose regulation - low SES have higher rates of impaired glucose regulation.
• birth weight

Question 21

Variations in health status between high and low SES- sociocultural factors

Answer 21

• access to healthcare - people with low SES are less likely to access healthcare and get regular check-ups, resulting in conditions going undiagnosed, contributing to higher mortality rates from cancers.
• education and income - people with lower levels of education have less health literacy, increasing their likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours.
• early life experiences - those with lower SES are more likely to engage in smoking while pregnant, contributing to low birthweight among babies and thus, increased under 5 mortality rates.
• food security - a lack of financial resources can lead to an inability to afford nutritious food, leading to higher prevalence of disease.
• social exclusion - those with lower levels of education, and employment are less likely to engage within the community contributing to poorer mental health

Question 22

Variations in health status between high and low SES- environmental factors

Answer 22

• geographic location - those in lower SES communities are more likely to be close to fast food outlets, contributing to higher intake of salt, fat and sugar.
• Housing - less likely to afford high quality housing - overcrowding, inadequate ventilation. This increases injuries, diseases and respiratory conditions.
• work environment - low SES are more likely to work in jobs that have dangerous working environments.

Question 23

Differences between those living within and outside of Australia’s major cities - biological factors

Answer 23

• body weight - higher outside major cities
• blood cholesterol - higher outside major cities
• glucose - higher outside major cities
• birthweight - low birthweight rates are higher outside major cities
• blood pressure - higher outside major cities.

Question 24

Differences between those living within and outside of Australia’s major cities - sociocultural factors

Answer 24

• SES - lower levels of education and income and lower opportunities for occupations
• early life experiences - maternal smoking and alcohol consumption.
• social isolation - less likely to be in regular contact with others, increasing feelings of loneliness - increased prevalence in mental health conditions
• food security - increases food insecurity due to lack of access and prices

Question 25

Differences between those living within and outside of Australia’s major cities - environmental factors

Answer 25

• infrastructure - poorer road conditions and wildlife
• climate change - drought, flood and fires increasing mental health disorders
• work environment - increased farming and mining leading to higher injuries and rates of skin cancer