The gathering of information to report on the health status of a specific population group. It reports on the patterns of disease, injury and illness considering: * Prevalence * Incidence * Distribution * Determinants and indicators… cause of disease * Measures of epidemiology
Mortality- A measure indicating how many people died in a particular population, how they died and over what period of time.
Infant mortality- the number of infant deaths in the first year of life per 1000 live births
Morbidity- the incidents or level of illness/sickness in a given population
Life expectancy- a prediction indicating the number of years a person is likely to live * Critique the use of epidemiology to describe health status by considering questions such as * What can epidemiology tell us?
Provide data about morbidity and mortality rates, therefore the health status of a population including information about prevalence, incidence, distribution and potential causes of sickness and disease, known as indicators and determinants. Although it is useful it does not tell us everything. * Who uses these measures? * International organisations- World Health Organisation (W.H.O) * Government- RTA, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), health budget. * NGO’s- Australian Drug Foundation * Politicians- introducing legislation, e.g. pool fences around pools * Do they measure everything about health status?
No, epidemiological data looks at group data. Every person is an individual and each brings different qualities. * Identifying priority health issues. * Social justice principals
It involves the establishment of supportive environments and the promotion of diversity. This applies equally to all Australians, so that all have the same opportunities to achieve and maintain optimum health.