Session 4 - Levels of prevention and primary healthcare

Question 1

Define environment.

Answer 1

The total sum of all surroundings of a living organism, including natural forces and other living things, which provide conditions for development and growth as well as danger and damage

Question 2

Define environmental health

Answer 2

Human health (quality of life) that is determined by physical, biological, social and psycho-social factors in the environment.

It involves the theory and practice of assessing, correcting and preventing these factors in the environment that can potentially adversely affect the health of people.

Question 3

Define Hazards

Answer 3

Any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions.

E.g knives are considered as a hazard because they ca cause cuts on the skin resulting in bleeding (blood loss)

Question 4

Name 4 interdependent environments

Answer 4

Home
Transport
Work
Recreational

Question 5

List some human activities that will affect health through their effect on the physical and biological environment

Answer 5

1. Releasing toxic chemicals (human activity) into the atmosphere and deforestations, leads to an increase in air pollution (biological) and will increase the chance of developing respiratory diseases such as lung cancer (physical)
2. Wildfires caused by people (human activity) burn the wildland vegetation (biological) thereby decreasing

Question 6

Name the 4 levels of healthcare.

Answer 6

1. self-care
2. primary care
3. secondary care
4. tertiary care

Question 7

Explain self-care

Answer 7

the patient cares for their own health, when it suits them and where they find themselves.

Question 8

Explain primary care

Answer 8

The first type of contact the patient has with a trained healthcare worker

Question 9

Explain secondary care

Answer 9

This is where the patient gets admitted to a health facility, hospital or clinic.

Question 10

Explain tertiary care

Answer 10

highly sophisticated healthcare usually only available in a national or academic hospital

Question 11

List the 4 levels of prevention.

Answer 11

1. primordial
2. primary
3. secondary
4. tertiary

Question 12

Explain primordial prevention

Answer 12

the goal is to prevent the emergence and establishment of the social, economic and cultural patterns of living that are known to contribute to an elevated risk of disease. The intervention is through individual and mass education using health policy

Question 13

What is disease prevention?

Answer 13

A wide range of activities known as ‘interventions’ aimed at reducing risks or threats to health.

Question 14

Give 3 examples of primordial prevention.

Answer 14

1. sugar tax
2. tobacco bill
3. mass education

Question 15

Explain primary prevention

Answer 15

It is aimed at ‘healthy people’ to prevent disease from occurring and requires modifying existing risk factors.

Question 16

What are the 2 factors used to achieve primary prevention?

Answer 16

1. Health promotion
2. Specific protection

Question 17

What does Health promotion entail in primary prevention? List 4 points.

Answer 17

1. Health education
2. Environmental modifications
3. Nutritional interventions
4. Lifestyle and behavioural changes

Question 18

What does specific protection entail in primary protection?

Answer 18

vaccinations
use of supplements
control of environmental hazards