INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH Population Health

Health Definition • Health outcomes of a group of indiv

• includes distribution of outcomes
Lay Point of View
Global Health
• When they are doing activities with no
apparent symptoms of disease in them • Health influenced by circumstances,
• The state of being free from illness and injury – transcends national boundaries
Oxford Dictionary • best addressed by cooperative actions /
solutions
Professional POV
Public Health System
• measure of the state of the physical bodily
organs • organizational mechanism of activities in
• ability of a body as a whole to function government / associated organization /
• Freedom f/ medically defined disease individuals

Who definition, 1948 Factors affecting Community Health

• A state of complete physical / mental / social Physical Determinants

well-being and not merely the absence of
• Geography
disease / infirmity
o highland vs low land
Determinants of health • Environment
o manmade vs natural catastrophes
• Health status is dynamic, many different forms • Industrial development
5 domains o pollution occupational hazards

• Gestational endowments Socio-cultural Determinants

o Genetic Makeup • beliefs, traditions, social customs, economy,
• Social circumstances politics, religion
o Education, employment, housing
• Environmental conditions Community Organization
o Where people work / live
• community size, arrangement, distribution of
o Toxic agents, microbial agent, structural
resources
hazards
• Behavioral Choices Behavioral Determinants
o diet, physical activity, substance use /
abuse • individual behavior / life style affecting
• Availability of quality medical care individual / community health
• smoking, alcoholism, promiscuity
Other key terms
Public Health Definition
Community
Winslow, 1920s
• collective body of individuals identified by
common characteristics • Science / Art of preventing disease, prolonging
life, promoting physical / mental health well
Community Health being
• Central emphasis of all public health work,
• health status of a defined group of people
promoting health hand preventing disease
• actions / conditions to promote / protect /
• Emphasizes diverse strategies to promote
preserve their health
health including environmental sanitation and
an adequate standard of living
• Clarifies goals need organized social action 6. Law Enforcement
expressed in government policies / activities to
• Ensure applicable laws are applied
promote / protect public health
• End of Policy development
Major Disciplines in Public Health
7. Link To / Provide care
• Nutrition, Reproductive / Environmental health,
Health Education / Economics / Service • Connect population to needed health / social
Management, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, services
Ecology, Research, Demography • Start of Assurance

Core Functions of Public Health 8. Assure Competent Workforce

Assessment • Provide education / training for different public

health competencies
• diagnostic function
• Public health agency collects / assembles / 9. Evaluate
analyzes / makes info on the population health • Build / Foster a culture of quality in public
Policy Development health organizations

• like developing a treatment plan for a patient 10. Build / Maintain an organizational infrastructure
for public health
• Uses scientific knowledge for a strategic
approach in improving community health • Develop an understanding of organization roles
Assurance • End of Assurance

• Like actual treatment for a patient Preventive Medicine

Ten Essential Public Health Services • Science / Art of disease prevention / health
promotion
1. Monitor health
Disease Prevention
• maintaining ongoing understanding of health
• collecting / analyzing data on factors to identify • techniques that prevent disease occurrence
threats on disproportionately affected • lead to an early diagnosis where therapy may
populations help
• Start of Assessment Modes of Prevention
2. Diagnose / Investigate Health Promotion
• anticipating / mitigating threats through • Fostering techniques for physical / emotional
epidemiologic identification well-being
• End of Assessment • Promotes individual self-care for risk reduction
3. Inform / Educate / Empower • Creating a healthful environment
• Actions toward determinants of health
• Developing / Disseminating accessible health
information Primary Prevention
• Start of Policy development • preventing a disease from occurring
4. Mobilize Community Partnerships • e.g. vaccines

• Convening / Facilitating multi sector Secondary Prevention

partnerships • early diagnosis, giving prompt treatment
5. Develop Policies • halt progression, shorten duration, prevent
complications
• Develop plans and laws to guide public health
practice
Tertiary Prevention Germ Theory

• Preventing long-term impairments / disabilities • Microbe / Germ cause specific diseases

• Restoring / Maintaining function after disease • Pathogens
stabilization o organisms inside that cause disease
• e.g. functional rehabilitation
Epidemiological Triad
Clinical Medicine
• external agent causes diseases on a
• treat individual patients susceptible host in a conducive environment
• Clinician – Patient Relationship
Agent
Community Health
• Necessary factor
• managing health problems of people in a o needs to be present for morbidity
community • Sufficient Factor
• Giving immunization, health education o combination that may cause disease

Health, Disease, Risk factors

Sick Person

• has signs / symptoms of disease

• not able to do normal work
Healthy Person

• body / mind are working as well as possible

Risk factors

• may cause a person to get a disease

• attacked to prevent diseases
Stages of Disease
Subclinical

• no signs / symptoms
• patient unaware of early disease
Clinical

• has signs / symptoms

• determination of disease
Theories of Disease Causation
Supernatural Causation

• Disease if curse by God, evil force of demons

• Mystical, Animistic, Magical
Humoral Theory

• natural process, uses 4 humors

o Phlegm, Yellow / Black bile, blood
• equilibrium among humors determine presence
of disease