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2013-09-19

Global Health & Human Services
MADS 6642

Week Two
Health Determinants, Measurements, and
Trends

Learning Objectives
• Describe the determinants of health
• Define the most important health indicators
• Discuss the differences between incidence and prevalence, morbidity, disability and mortality and noncommunicable and communicable diseases
• Discuss the concept of health-adjusted life expectancy
(HALE), disability-adjusted lie years and the burden of disease • Describe the leading causes of death in low, middle and high-income countries
• Describe the demography and epidemiologic transition

Determinants of Health

The Importance of Measuring Health Status
In order to address global health issues, we must understand:
• The factors that influence health status the most
• How health status is measured
• The key trends that have occurred historically

Why are some people healthy and some people not health?

• The interconnected factors that determine an individual’s health status
• Determinants include
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Personal and inborn features (sex, age, genetic make-up
Social and cultural status (education, income, gender)
Culture – how one feels about health
Environment - safety, pollution, ventilation, sanitation,
Educational attainment – knowledge and skills,
Health practices behaviors- hand washing, eating, alcohol, smoke
Childhood development- nourishment, feeding patterns, expose to risk
Access to care – health care pregnancy, complications, etc.
Government policy – quality of living and insurance

• Increasing attention is being paid to the “social determinants of health” Key Determinants of Health

Key Health Indicators
 Data and evidence required
 Nurse/doctor to patients ratio
 Health financing

Health status indicators are useful for:
– Finding which diseases people suffer from
– Determining the extent to which the disease causes death or disability
– Practicing