Measuring Health StatusChapter 1

What’s Ahead:

Defining health and health status

Defining the dimensions of health

Measurements of health status

The determinants of health

Defining Health:

The World Health Organisation Defines Health as:

‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’

Health status is an individual’s or population’s overall level of health, taking into account factors such as life expectancy, amount of disability and levels of disease.

Dimensions of Health:

Health is comprised of 3 dimensions:

Physical health

Social health

Mental health

Physical Health:

Physical Health- Efficient functioning of the

body and its systems.

Examples of Physical Health-

Being a healthy weight for height

Being free from disease or illness

Having reliable body function Physical fitness Healthy blood pressure level Healthy blood cholesterol level Flexibility of muscles and

joints

Social Health:

Examples of Social Health-

Communicating effectively with others

Maintaining a network of friends

Accepting responsibility for actions

Obeying the laws and rules of society

Taking part in activities around you and interacting with others

Social Health- Being able to interact effectively with others

Mental Health:

Mental Health- Able to realise ones own abilities

and cope with normal stresses. Positive self esteem and self concept.

Examples of Mental Health- Recognising and expressing feelings Having coping mechanisms for

stress Supporting and helping family Feeling good about oneself Having the ability to function in

society Cope with the demands of everyday

life

The Notion of ‘Dynamic Health’

An individual’s health is always changing throughout one’s lifetime.

Health cannot remain the same; we are bound to have periods of illness and stresses in life as we interact with the environment.

It is unlikely a person would maintain

optimum physical, mental and social health throughout their entire life.

Optimum Health:

An optimum level of health is maintained through the three dimensions of health interacting and working together to achieve a sense of wellbeing.

This is not perfect physical, mental or social health but a balance of all three.

Interrelationships Between Dimensions: The dimensions of health do not work independently,

but together resulting in the health status of an individual or population.

The interrelationship between physical, social and mental health concerns interact and balance between maintaining:- Good bodily structure and function- Participation in community and social activities- Effective emotional functioning

STOP! THINK FOR YOURSELF: Develop your own example of health

interrelationships.

Why is the health status of a population measured? Analysis of health status and trends enables

optimisation of the health of a population

Health status is measured so comparisons between populations can be made and trends can be measured to predict and prepare for health services in the future as well as present situations and requirements

Trends in the health of a population can help predict what services will be needed in the future

Locations for hospitals and other health services can be determined

Measurements of Health Status:

Life Expectancy-an approximation of the total number of years a person is expected to live from birth

Health Adjusted Life Expectancy-the number of years a person can expect to live in full health

Mortality- number of deaths caused by a particular disease, illness or other environmental factor

Under 5 Morality-estimates the number of newborn babies that will die before reaching their fifth birthday, based on current age specific mortality rates for each country

Morbidity-the rate at which a particular disease or illness occurs within a population

Measurements of Health Status:

Incidence- the number or rate of new cases of a particular condition during a specific time

Prevalence-the total number of people experiencing a particular condition at a specific time

Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY’s)- a measure of the years of healthy life lost due to premature death, illness and/or disability. YLL + YLD = DALY’s

Years Life Lost (YLL)-years of healthy life lost due to death

Years of Life lost due to Disability (YLD)-years lost due to disability

Burden of Disease-The impact of a particular disease in relation to the amount of healthy life lost due to premature death, illness and/or disability.

Under 5 Mortality Rates:

Under-5 mortality rates are widely used indicators of a population’s health status because they are associated with:

Education Economic development Availability of health services

These are all useful indicators when estimating the overall health and wellbeing of a population.

Determinants of Health:

Biological

Behavioural

Social

Biological Determinants:

Factors of the body that impact on health

Examples could include; genetics, hormones, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and birth weight.

Behavioural Determinants:

Actions or patterns of living that impact on health

Examples could include; smoking, alcohol consumption, sexual activity, physical activity and eating habits.

Determinants of Health:

Examples include poverty, early life experiences, social networks and support.

Aspects of the social environment and society that impact on health

Pop Quiz

Define Health

Pop Quiz

What is physical health? What is an example of physical

health?

Pop Quiz

What is social health? What is an example of social health?

Pop Quiz

What is mental health? What is an example of mental

health?

Pop Quiz

Define incidence Define prevalence

Pop Quiz

Define Health

‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Pop Quiz

What is physical health? What is an example of physical health?

Physical Health-Efficient functioning of the body and its systems.Examples of Physical Health-Being a healthy weight for heightBeing free from disease or illnessHaving reliable body functionPhysical fitnessHealthy blood pressure levelHealthy blood cholesterol levelFlexibility of muscles and joints

Pop Quiz

What is social health? What is an example of social health?

Social Health-Being able to interact effectively with others Examples of Social Health-Communicating effectively with othersMaintaining a network of friendsAccepting responsibility for actionsObeying the laws and rules of societyTaking part in activities around you and interacting with others

Pop Quiz

What is mental health? What is an example of mental health?Mental Health-Able to realise ones own abilities and cope with normal stresses. Positive self esteem and self concept.Examples of Mental Health-Recognising and expressing feelingsHaving coping mechanisms for stressSupporting and helping familyFeeling good about oneselfHaving the ability to function in societyCope with the demands of everyday life

Pop Quiz

Define incidence Define prevalence

Incidence- the number or rate of new cases of a particular condition during a specific timePrevalence-the total number of people experiencing a particular condition at a specific time