Old Vs. New Public Health, Biomedical, Social Flashcards

What is Old Public Health?

Government actions that focused on changing the physical environment to prevent the spread of disease. The first public health measure took place when bacteria was understood to be a major cause of disease, and it focused on improving living conditions and better establishing government funded systems such as improved water and sewage system (clean drinking water and better sanitation), improved nutrition, improved housing conditions and better work conditions.

When were the 3 mass vaccinations and when did they take place?

1930s: diptheria1950s: pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis1960s: measles

What is the biomedical approach to health?

The biomedical model of health focuses on the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness. It is a medical model practised by doctors and health professionals and is associated with the diagnosis, treatment and cure of disease and illness. The approach focuses on individuals and aims to return people to their "pre-illness" state

What are the advantages of the biomedical model?

- Increased life expectancy (through medication to treat illness)- Creates advances in technology and research due to greater knowledge and expertise in understanding medicines and procedures and their impact- Improved quality of life (managing chronic conditions)- Enables many common problems to be effectively treated

What are the disadvantages of the biomedical model?

- Not affordable for everyone (many procedures are expensive)- Treat the illness but not the 'root' cause (illness may 'return' if behaviours/situations do not change)- Not every condition can be treated- Relies on professional health workers so it is costly- Doesn't always promote good health and wellbeing ('quick-fix' approach)

What are some improvements in medical technology?

- Sphygmomanometer and stethoscope in 1910 (measure blood pressure)- New x-ray techniques in 1941 (doctors view action of heart - diagnose CVD)- Anti-hypertensive drugs (manage hypertension)- Discovery of antibiotics just after WWII (then also discovery of penicillin - contributed to reduction in morbidity/mortality, and maternal mortality, from infectious diseases)

What is new public health?

The new public health system is an approach to health that expands the traditional focus on individual behaviour change to one that considers the ways in which physical, sociocultural and political environments impact on health â also referred to as the social model of health.Health promotions were designed to bring about individual behaviour change to make people more aware of the causes of ill health (e.g. tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, excessive alcohol).

Why was new public health introduced?

- 1970s: emergence of lifestyle diseases- Understood if people were exposed to the necessary information to prevent these diseases, their behaviours would change and improve- However, knowledge alone was unsuccessful as other factor brought up inequalities in health status- Physical, sociocultural and political environments had an influence on health and wellbeing and health behaviours

The social model of health takes into account the significant role that factors such as socioeconomic status, access to healthcare and social connectedness play in bringing about improved health status. These are examples of sociocultural factors. If these factors can be addressed, many diseases and illnesses can be prevented altogether.

- Addresses the broader determinants of health- Acts to reduce social inequities- Empowers individuals and communities- Acts to enable access to healthcare- Involves intersectoral collaboration

The social model of health focuses on not only the biological but particularly reducing the impact of sociocultural and environmental factors that can contribute to inequalities in health and wellbeing.

Addressing the sociocultural factors that contribute to inequities in health status, as many individuals and population groups are heavily influenced by sociocultural and environmental factors such as gender, culture, race, socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, social exclusion and the physical environment.

More people can participate in decision making about their health and wellbeing and are more likely to participate in healthy behaviours which may allow them to feel a sense of power and control over their situation, and this may lead to positive changes to their health and wellbeing.

The social model of health addresses the barriers to access to healthcare such as location, culture, language, transport, discrimination, accessibility, cost and knowledge.

By involving all interested and concerned groups, sociocultural and physical environment factors can be adequately addressed. The groups involved include the government, the private sector, and the health sector.

- Promotes good health and wellbeing and assists in preventing diseases (focuses on broader determinants, can prevent conditions from occurring)- Relatively inexpensive (health promotion can costs millions to implement, however is significantly cheaper than treating conditions)- Focuses on vulnerable population groups (promoting equity and many disadvantaged groups are the target of health promotion programs)

- Health promotion may be ignored (relies on public cooperation)- Does not promotes development of technology and medical knowledge (no medical advancements)- Not every condition can be prevented (e.g. some conditions may be caused by genetic conditions)

Define health promotion

The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It therefore focuses on prevention rather than cure and uses the causes of diseases as the starting point rather than disease themselves.

What is the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion?

The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion is an approach to health that was developed by the World Health Organisation, in Ottawa, Canada in 1986, that aims to reduce inequalities in health. It reflects the social model of health and provides five action areas that can be used as a basis for improving health status and the development of health promotion strategies, all of which are centred around three strategies for health promotion which are to advocate, enable and mediate.

What are the strategies of the Ottawa Charter?

Advocate, Enable, Mediate

Explain the strategy of the Ottawa Charter: - Advocate

Refers to actions that seek to gain support from governments and societies in general to make the changes necessary to improve the factors that influence health and wellbeing for everyone. - Media campaigns (e.g. social media), public speaking, conducting and publishing of research and public opinion, lobbying governments ( in which individuals/groups try to change the opinions of those responsible for making public policies/laws)

Explain the strategy of the Ottawa Charter: - Enable

Refers to achieving equity in health and wellbeing by working with those who experience poorer health status to reduce differences in health status between population groups by ensuring equal opportunities and resources are available to enable all people to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.- Ensuring access (education, employment, adequate housing, nutritious food, healthcare), empowering people

Explain the strategy of the Ottawa Charter: - Mediate

Changes required to promote health and wellbeing can cause conflict between different individuals, groups, businesses and political parties. Mediating helps groups resolve conflict and produce outcomes that promote health and wellbeing.

What are the action areas of the Ottawa Charter?

- Build healthy public policy- Create supportive environments- Strengthen community action- Develop personal skills- Reorient health services

Explain the action area of the Ottawa Charter: - Build healthy public policy

Relates directly to the decisions made by government and organisations regarding laws and policies that affect health and wellbeing.- Seatbelt/helmet laws, smoking restrictions, workplace regulation

Explain the action area of the Ottawa Charter: - Create supportive environments

A supportive environment is one that promotes health and wellbeing by being safe, stimulating, satisfying and enjoyable.- Healthy workspaces, restricting energy-dense food ads, strengthening links between people and environment

Explain the action area of the Ottawa Charter: - Strengthen community action

Focuses on building links between individuals and the community, and centres around the community working together to achieve a common goal. The more people work together towards a common goal, the greater the chance of success.- Community fun runs, community kitchens, support organisations

Explain the action area of the Ottawa Charter: - Develop personal skills

Education is a key aspect of this area and education refers to gaining health-related knowledge and gaining life skills that allow people to make informed decisions that may indirectly affect health and wellbeing.- Online education, teaching material, health classes

Explain the action area of the Ottawa Charter: - Reorient health services

Refers to reorienting the health system so that it promotes health and wellbeing as opposed to focusing only on diagnosing and treating illness, as is the case with the biomedical model. It is a holistic approach that works on strengthening protective factors, reducing risk factors, and improving health determinants- 'Stop smoking' programs, improving access to healthcare, health educator roles (e.g. doctors)

Old Vs. New Public Health, Biomedical, Social Flashcards ionicons-v5-c

Old Vs. New Public Health, Biomedical, Social Flashcards