unit 3 outcome 2 kk#1 Flashcards
(50 cards)
why do we look at the changes in australias health status over time?
- As society evolves and changes, the patterns of disease and illness also change.
- Looking at long-term health patterns is important for researchers and governments as they help identify points in time when actions were implemented and the success of these in improving health status.
- This can help governments to make better decisions moving forward.
what changes have we seen in australias health status over time?
-In the early part of the last century, Australia was dealing with high rates of communicable diseases.
-Measures were put in place to address these and over time we saw the patterns of disease and illness shift to more lifestyle or noncommunicable diseases.
- Health status has improved significantly in Australia over time.
the five main disease / illness / injury groups
- infectious and parasitic diseases
- respiratory
- injury and poisoning
- cancers
- cardiovascular disease
infectious and parasitic diseases
INFECTIOUS DISEASES:
- Infectious diseases include diseases such as tuberculosis, polio, smallpox, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis and HIV.
PARASITIC DISEASES:
- Parasitic diseases occur when parasites such as worms, skin mites, body lice and protozoa enter the body through contaminated food or water, or from contact with others who have parasites on their skin or hair.
- Once in the body, the parasites can cause sickness and, in some cases, death.
- Infectious and parasitic diseases were the most common causes of death in Australia in the first part of the twentieth century (due to poor living conditions)
cancer
- Cancer death rates increased throughout the twentieth century, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s before falling gradually.
- This rise was the result of an increase in lung cancer due to high rates of
cigarette smoking in the 1920s. - Advances in medical technology, including early detection, have assisting in
decreasing mortality rates due to cancer.
cardiovascular disease
-Death rates (due to cardiovascular disease) increased and reached their peak in the mid-1960s.
- Although there has been a decline in death rates from cardiovascular diseases since then, they continue to be one of the
major causes of death in Australia.
respiratory diseases
-Respiratory diseases include COVID-19, pneumonia, influenza, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Pneumonia and influenza were the major causes of death from respiratory
diseases in 1900.
- More hygienic living conditions and vaccination programs assisted in
decreasing mortality from infectious diseases.
- Death rates from COVID-19 also contributed to high death rates from
respiratory diseases between 2020 and 2023.
injury and poisoning
- Deaths from injury and poisoning include:
those from motor vehicle
and other accidents, suicide, assault, poisoning, drowning, burns and falls, and complications from medical and surgical care. - Since 1900, death rates for injury and poisoning have more than halved for both males and females, with the most rapid decline
occurring from the 1970s. - This decrease is attributed to public health actions that were introduced by the government, such as the introduction of the
compulsory wearing of seatbelts in 1970 and workplace safety
regulations.
what is public health
-Public health relates to the ways in which governments monitor, regulate and promote health status and prevent
disease
-Public health is concerned with the organisation and a
collective effort to improve the health status of the entire population.
describe the ‘old’ public health
-‘Old’ public health relates to the government actions that focused on changing the physical environment to prevent the spread of disease, such as providing safe water, sanitation and sewage disposal, improved nutrition, improved housing conditions and better work conditions
what factors led to the introduction of initiatives associated with old public health
-Pressure was placed on governments to take action to improve people’s health.
- As a result, a range of initiatives were introduced by governments that became known as the ‘old’ public health.
- These initiatives played a significant role in reducing the prevalence of infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory
diseases and injuries that were common during the first half of the twentieth century.
- As a result, significant improvements occurred in life expectancy, maternal and child mortality and overall death rates.
old public health policies and practices
- improved water and sanitation
- better quality housing and fewer slums
- better quality food and nutrition
- introduction of quarintine laws
- safer working conditions
- more hygenic birthing practices
- provision of antenatal and infant welfare services
- mass immunisation programs
old public health policies and practices
clean drinking water was provided
EXPLAINATION:
people were provided with safe water to drink
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera were reduced
old public health policies and practices
sewage systems were established and sanitation was improved
EXPLAINATION:
sewage systems help to keep human wastes seperated from water suppliers, and garbage and waste were removed from the streets
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
led to infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis, diarrheoa, cholera being reduced.
- improved infant and child mortality rates and improved life expectancy
old public health policies and practices
better quality housing and the elimination of housing slums
EXPLAINATION:
housing was cleaner
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
- reduced deaths from respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, influenza, improving life expecatncy
old public health policies and practices
improved food and nutrition
EXPLAINATION:
food often transmitted diseases from bacteria, parasites, toxins and viruses due to poor hygiene and storage.
- Public health campaigns promoted the importance of food hygiene
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
-Reduction in stomach cancer
- Improved nutrition increased resistance to infectious and respiratory diseases
- improved life expectancy
old public health policies and practices
improved working conditions
EXPLAINATION:
Workplaces had to have better ventilation and toilets for workers.
- Employment of children under 13 years of age was prohibited.
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
- Reduced industrial-related child deaths
- improved life expectancy
old public health policies and practices
mass imunisation programs
EXPLAINATION:
With the scientific discovery of vaccines, the government funded mass vaccinations
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
-Reductions from infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio, tuberculosis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B and COVID-19
- Improved infant and child mortality rates
- Improved life expectancy
old public health policies and practices
establishment of public health campaigns
EXPLAINATION:
During World War I, health campaigns targeted the prevention of tuberculosis (TB) and STIs.
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
- reductions in infectious diseases such as tuberculosis
-Improved life expectancy
old public health policies and practices
more hygenic birthing practices
EXPLAINATION:
There were safe and hygienic birthing conditions with trained and registered midwives and doctors.
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
-Reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates
old public health policies and practices
antenatal and infant welfare services were provided
EXPLAINATION:
-Following World War II, antenatal and infant welfare services were established, which supported mothers and babies.
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
-Reduced fertility rates and lower maternal mortality rates
-Reduced infant mortality rates
old public health policies and practices
quarintine laws
EXPLAINATION:
Quarantine laws were also introduced to control the spread of COVID-19 in 2020–2022.
HOW IT AFFECTED HEALTH STATUS:
- Reduction in infectious diseases
-Improved life expectancy
what is meant by health promotion
‘Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health.
what brought about the shift to health promotion
-The emergence of lifestyle diseases during the 1950s and 60s required a different approach to public health.
- It was during this time that a shift towards the implementation of publicly funded health promotion campaigns occurred.
-These were designed to bring about individual
behaviour change by making people aware of the causes of ill health, such as tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption.
