PUBH 201 MIDTERM 1
What is PH - correct answer ✔✔- the fulfillment of society's interest in assuring the conditions in which
people can be healthy
- organized community efforts aimed at the prevention of disease and the promotion of health
"the future of public health" - correct answer ✔✔-The Future of Public Health tasks was to re-examine
the definition of public health, reasoning that for it o be effective, public health defined: the committee's
report describes public health's mission, substance, organizational framework and core functions.
- Mission of public health is the fulfillment of society's interest in assuring the conditions in which people
can be healthy.
definition of PH - correct answer ✔✔- the reasoning for it to be effective and has to be broadly defined
- fulfillment of society's interest in assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy.
- organized community efforts aimed at prevention of disease and promotion of health
- both activities undertaken within formal structure of government and associated efforts of private and
voluntary organizations and individuals
core functions of PH - correct answer ✔✔- assessment, policy development, assurance (protect health
and prevent disease), compare with a medical doctor, diagnostic process for health and disease, strategic
approach/treatment plan, actual treatment (services available)
"rectangularizing" the life curve - correct answer ✔✔- Rectangularization = a trend toward a more
rectangular shape of the survival curve due to increased survival and concentration of deaths around the
mean age at death of the population.
- The variability in the age at death declines and deaths are being compressed into the upper years of
life.
PH disciplines - correct answer ✔✔- Epidemiology (epidemics/obesity, prostate cancer in western
countries and Asia), new diseases: basic science of Public health, study of epidemics, aim to control
spread of infectious disease, seeks cause of chronic disease and ways to limit harmful exposure
,- Statistics (calculate risks, testing the new drug): collection of data on population, calculate risk/benefits
- Biomedical Sciences (AIDS, flu, Hanta virus, cancer): infectious disease/pathogens, chronic disease,
genetics
- Environmental Health Science (new chemicals): health effects of environmental exposure, air/water
quality, solid/hazardous wastes, safe food and drugs, global environmental change
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (Latino paradox): health threats: tobacco, poor diet, physical inactivity
- Health Policy and Management: cost of medical care in U.S. out of control, U.S. high population without
health insurance and lack access to medical care, quality of medical care measured/questionale
Primary, secondary, & tertiary prevention - correct answer ✔✔Primary - prevent disease
Secondary - minimize the severity of the illness
Tertiary - minimize the disability, rehabilitations
chain of causation - correct answer ✔✔- agent, host, environment
- interventions can focus on any of these targets
(Malaria, West Nile Virus, Hanta Virus)
market justice - correct answer ✔✔- Emphasizes individual responsibility, minimal obligation to the
common good, and the fundamental freedom to all individuals to be left alone.
- powerful forces of environment, heredity, and social structure prevent a fair distribution of the burdens
and benefits of society.
social justice - correct answer ✔✔- suggests that minimal levels of income, basic housing, employment,
education, and health care should be seen as fundamental rights.
- Beauchamp: "the historic dream of public health that preventable death and disease ought to be
minimized is a dream of social justice"
, PUBLIC HEALTH AS SOCIAL JUSTICE
cost vs. benefit in PH - correct answer ✔✔- Cost may be short-term while benefits may be long-term
- Costs easier to calculate that benefits
- In economic difficulty, people are often willing to pay short term cost in order to obtain a benefit in the
long term
EX:
- Smog in LA: to calculate the cost of reduction, easy, how to calculate whether this benefit is worth the
cost but also timeline problem
- Fish and lumber industry - sources depleted, risk of killing all fish, cutting down all the timber
Tragedy of the commons - correct answer ✔✔- government restrictions on behavior that causes indirect
harm to others (cattle and herdsman)
- no individual has the power to control the quality of own personal environment independent of
behavior and government action is required to protect common resources.
- exemplified in many environmental laws
- freedom to pollute
- behavior on indirect harm
- in industrial world "commons" is air
- elimination of drive through windows in bank and fast food restaurants
- a ban on gas driven lawn mowers
"paternalism" - correct answer ✔✔acceptable for children
- children and young people can be restricted in their behavior on the basis that they are not yet mature
enough to make judgements as to their own best interests.
EX: laws prevent juveniles to buy alcohol/tobacco, wear helmets and seat belts, require parental
permission for birth control/skydiving, drunk driving