Session 2 - Multicausality of Diseases

Question 1

Define Health

Answer 1

A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Question 2

Define communicable disease.

Answer 2

It is caused by microorganisms and can be spread directly or indirectly from one person to another. Some are transmitted through vectors.

Question 3

What is causation?

Answer 3

An event, condition, characteristic or a combination of these factors, which plays an important part in the development of disease.

Question 4

What is a necessary cause?

Answer 4

A factor that must be present for a disease to occur

Question 5

Explain direct causal associations.

Answer 5

This is where a causal factor leads straight to the outcome and there are no other factors intervening.

Question 6

What is Dose?

Answer 6

The number of infectious agents needed to cause disease

Question 7

What is virulence?

Answer 7

the ability to infect

Question 8

What is pathogenicity?

Answer 8

the ability to cause disease

Question 9

What is survival?

Answer 9

the ability to survive outside the host

Question 10

What are causative agents not limited to?

Answer 10

Biological agents

Question 11

What can causative agents include aside from biological agents?

Answer 11

Chemical agents and Physical agents

Question 12

List 5 examples of biological agents.

Answer 12

1. bacteria
2. virus
3. parasites
4. protozoan
5. fungus

Question 13

List 4 examples of chemical agents.

Answer 13

1. pesticides
2. food additives
3. pharmacologic
4. industrial chemicals

Question 14

List 6 examples of physical agents

Answer 14

1. heat
2. light
3. radiation
4. noise
5. vibration
6. speeding objects

Question 15

Name the 4 types of host factors

Answer 15

1. predisposing factors
2. enabling factors
3. precipitating factors
4. reinforcing factors

Question 16

What are predisposing factors?

Answer 16

factors that make the body more susceptible to disease

Question 17

What are modulating factors?

Answer 17

factors that assist in the development of the disease

Question 18

What are precipitating factors?

Answer 18

factors which are associated with immediate exposure to the disease agent.

Question 19

What are reinforcing factors?

Answer 19

factors that aggravate an already existing disease

Question 20

List 5 examples of predisposing factors.

Answer 20

1. Gender
2. Race
3. Genes
4. Ethnicity
5. Blood group

Question 21

List 8 examples of modulating factors.

Answer 21

1. age
2. marital status
3. lifestyle
4. medication
5. nutrition
6. immunity
7. previous diseases
8. socio-economic status

Question 22

What does macro-environment entail?

Answer 22

1. recreational
2. transport
3. residential
4. work

Question 23

What does micro-environment entail?

Answer 23

1. biological
2. psychological
3. physical/chemical

Question 24

Name the 5 determinants of health.

Answer 24

1. biological
2. cultural and behavioural
3. environmental
4. economic and political
5. social

Question 25

What are determinants of health?

Answer 25

A range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that influence health status.

Question 26

What does the epidemiological triad causality model entail?

Answer 26

It states that disease depends on the critical balance between environment, agent and host.

Question 27

Define host.

Answer 27

Refers to the human who can get the disease

Question 28

What does 'environment' entail in the epidemiological triad? List 6 points.

Answer 28

1. climate 2. living conditions 3. work conditions 4. access to healthcare 5. air quality 6. sanitation

Question 29

What is a causal pathway?

Answer 29

A pathway where one factor leads to another until eventually the specific pathogenic agent becomes present in the organ that gets damaged.

Question 30

List 4 examples of biological determinants of health.

Answer 30

1. infective agent 2. protozoa 3. genetics 4. gender

Question 31

List 4 examples of cultural & behavioural determinants of health.

Answer 31

1. gender culture 2. gender-based violence 3. xenophobia 4. high risk behaviours

Question 32

List 5 examples of environmental determinants of health.

Answer 32

1. Rural vs urban 2. air pollution 3. water 4. soil 5.climate change

Question 33

List 3 examples of economic & political determinants of health.

Answer 33

1. war 2. political tensions 3. poor economy

Question 34

What are social determinants of health?

Answer 34

the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age

Question 35

List 7 examples of social determinants of health.

Answer 35

1. agriculture and food production 2. education 3. work environment 4. unemployment 5. water and sanitation 6. healthcare services 7. housing

Question 36

Name the 6 components of the infectious disease process.

Answer 36

1. causative agent 2. reservoir for the agent 3. portal of exit of the agent from the host 4. mode of transmission of the agent to a new host 5. portal of entry into the new host 6. host susceptibility

Question 37

Explain the causation of disease using Koch's postulate.

Answer 37

1. agent must be present in every case of the disease 2. agent must be able to be isolated and grown in pure culture 3. once isolated, agent must be capable of reproducing disease in susceptible animal 4. agent must be re-isolated from new host and shown to be the same as the originally inoculated agent

Question 38

Explain the causation of disease using the web of causation model.

Answer 38

Several causes or contributing factors together give rise to disease and each of these factors is also influenced by a variety of other factors which can be known or unknown. These factors can activate the disease directly or indirectly.

Question 39

What is the cause of ischemic heart disease?

Answer 39

1. genetics 2. hypertension 3. obesity

Question 40

What are the causes of HIV?

Answer 40

1. unprotected sex with an infected person 2. sharing needles 3. transmission from mother to foetus during birth when blood mix

Question 41

What are the causes of lung cancer?

Answer 41

1. smoking 2. exposure to asbestos 3. exposure to radon gas 4. genetics

Question 42

What are the causes of diabetes?

Answer 42

1. immune system destroying cells making insulin 2. genetics 3. being overweight 4. lack of exercise

Question 43

What are the causes of diarrhea?

Answer 43

1. alcohol abuse 2. bacterial infection 3. allergies to certain foods

Question 44

What are the causes of respiratory illness?

Answer 44

1. influenza A or B 2. respiratory syncytial virus 3. adenovirus

Question 45

What is an indirect cause?

Answer 45

A causal factor that indirectly causes a certain outcome by means of intervening factors