What are the priority issues for improving Australia's health? Flashcards
Groups experiencing health inequities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- The elderly
- The disabled
- Rural and remote communities
- Overseas born
- Socioeconomically disadvantaged
Nature and extent of health inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
- Lower life expectancy
- Higher mortality rates at all ages
- Higher death rates from cancer, CVD, Respiratory disease + diabetes
- infant mortality is twice that for ATSI people
Trends for ATSI
- A decline in death rates from all causes for indigenous males and similar for females
Sociocultural, economic and environmental determinants of ATSI health
- Cultural: high rates of smoking, lack of role models, alcohol abuse
- economic: higher rates of youth unemployment due to lower levels of education, resulting in poorer life choices, lower literacy levels, lower income levels
- environmental: over 50% of ATSI population live in geographical isolation (rural and remote areas), poor access to health services + care
What are the role individuals, communities and governments play in addressing health inequities?
- Individuals: access health support, make positive and healthy choices
- communities: organisations aim to provide primary health care services such as Aboriginal controlled health services (ACCHS) and Aboriginal medical services (AMS). These organisations partner up with ATSI communities to identify priority issues and provide an extensive range of indigenous focused services.
- Governments: $805 million Indigenous Chronic Disease package, close the gap campaign
Nature and extent of health inequalities for the socioeconomically disadvantaged
- measured by income, housing, education, employment
- men and women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have higher rates of mortality and illness
Sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental determinants of socioeconomically disadvantaged
- Cultural: family structures, prominent smoking culture due to lack of income, increased likelihood of discrimination, inactive lifestyle with lack of nutrition and proper diet
- economic: lower levels of education leading to lower employment opportunities
- environmental: limited or reduced access to health resources, less safe working conditions
The role of individuals, communities and governments in addressing socioeconomic health inequities
- Individuals: increased access to information e.g. brochures, participation in health promotion activities and enhancing health literacy
- communities: education and encourage members of the community, provide relevant health care services, initiatives e.g. “youth off the streets”
- governments: free or reduced course of health through medicare, free or subsidised treatments from health professionals, income support through centrelink
High levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems
- protective behaviours: likely to enhance a person’s level of health e.g. healthy eating
- Risk behaviours: behaviours that contribute to the development of health problems or poorer levels of health e.g. smoking
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
- Refers to damage to, or disease of, the heart, arteries, veins and/or smaller blood vessels
- Identifies as health priority area
- One of leading cause of death and sickness
- more likely in males and indigenous people
Nature of CVD
3 forms of CVD:
- coronary heart disease - (poor supply of blood to the muscular walls of the heart by its own
blood supply vessels, the coronary arteries)
- Stroke - (interruption of supply of blood to the brain)
- Peripheral Vascular disease - (disease of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries that affect the
limbs, usually reducing blood supply to the legs)
Atherosclerosis
- Build up of fatty and/or fibrous material on the interior walls of the arteries hindering the flow of blood to the body’s tissues + increases blood pressure
- degenerative disease
CVD
Manifests as a heart attack or angina
- Heart Attack: is caused by a complete closure of a coronary artery or when a clot blocks a narrow artery
- Heart relies on a regular oxygenated blood flow - without this causes tissue damage therefore a heart attack.
- can result in sudden death
CVD
- Angina pectoris: is chest pain that occurs when there is an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood
- may be experienced by a heart attack sufferer
- Stroke: results from a blockage of blood to the brain
- can affect the body from functioning severely
- Heart failure: the heart’s inability to cater to the tasks of everyday life
- Peripheral vascular disease: reduced blood flow to the legs and the feet usually due to atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis.
The extent of CVD in Australia
- 1 in 6 Australian’s affected by CVD = 4.2 million Australians
- steady decline in CVD death rates
- accounted for 29% of deaths among all Australians in 2015
- CHD leading cause of death in Australia overall
- Cerebrovascular disease/stroke is the second leading cause of cvd
- Declining prevalence of CVD is due to reduction in the levels of risk factors and, improved medical care + treatment