health

• Health and Wellbeing includes:

  • Freedom from illness and disease
  • Strong immune system
  • Adequate energy levels
  • Low levels of stress and anxiety
  • Positive thought patterns and esteem
  • Supportive network of friends and family
  • Effective communication with others
  • High levels of resilience
  • Ability to effectively experience, understand, respond to, and manage emotions
  • Sense of belonging and connection to the world
  • Peace and harmony
  • Positive meaning and purpose in life
• Health and Wellbeing is the state of a person's physical, social, emotional, mental, and spiritual existence, characterised by an equilibrium in which the individual feels happy, healthy, capable, and engaged
• Physical wellbeing relates to the functioning of the body and its systems, including the physical capacity to perform daily activities or tasks
• Mental wellbeing is the current state of wellbeing relating to a person's mind or brain and the ability to think and process information
• Social wellbeing relates to the ability to form meaningful and satisfying relationships with others and the ability to manage or adapt appropriately to different social situations
• Emotional wellbeing relates to the ability to express emotions and feelings in a positive way
• Spiritual wellbeing relates to ideas, beliefs, values, and ethics that arise in the minds and conscience of human beings
• Biological factors include genetics, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and birth weight
• Sociocultural factors include food insecurity, unemployment, socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and societal norms
• Environmental factors include workplaces, housing, climate change, infrastructure, and respiratory conditions like asthma
• • Mortality (maternal, infant, and under 5): number of deaths in a population
• Factors affecting Health Status and Burden of Disease include:

  • Incidence: new cases of a condition
  • Prevalence: total cases of a condition
  • Morbidity: ill health in an individual and levels of ill health within a population
  • Burden of disease: a measure of the impact of diseases and injuries
  • Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): YLL (years of life lost) + YLD (years lost due to disability)
  • Life expectancy: the number of years of life, on average, remaining to an individual at a particular age if death rates do not change
  • Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE)
• Prerequisites for health as determined by the WHO include:

  • Peace (absence of conflict)
  • Shelter
  • Education
  • Food
  • Income
  • Stable ecosystem (balance between environment and species living there)
  • Sustainable resources (resources can be used now and into the future)
  • Social justice (similar to equality)
  • Equity (relates to fairness and social justice, but has a focus on disadvantaged groups)
• Income Groups:

  • Low income (<$1k)
  • Lower-middle ($1k-$4k)
  • Upper-middle ($4k-$12.5k)
  • High income ($12.5k+)
• Characteristics of Income Groups:

  • Economic: average incomes, range of industries, global trade
  • Social: poverty levels, gender equality, employment & education levels
  • Environmental: carbon dioxide emissions, safe water and sanitation, infrastructure
• Sustainability is defined as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs
• Factors influencing health status and burden of disease in Australia include smoking, alcohol, high body mass index, and dietary risks
• Smoking is a practice where a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled, leading to significant health risks
• Smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cancer, prenatal and infant health outcomes, asthma, respiratory disease, and infectious diseases
• Summary of the impact of alcohol on health status and burden of disease:

  • Alcohol use disorder
  • Weight gain, high body mass index, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes
  • Cancer (mouth, throat, stomach, bowel, liver, breast)
  • Liver disease (cirrhosis)
  • Injuries
  • Mental health issues and self-harm
  • Prenatal/infant health outcomes including FASD
  • Alcohol use responsible for all DALY associated with alcohol use disorders and 28% of the burden due to road traffic injuries, 24% of chronic liver disease, and 23% of suicide and self-inflicted injuries
• Alcohol contributed significant YLL due to stroke
• Alcohol increases YLL and YLD due to cardiovascular disease
• Alcohol increases incidence and mortality from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, liver diseases, and injuries
• Alcohol leads to higher rates of morbidity due to mental health issues
• • Vegetables are a source of antioxidants that reduce the impact of free radicals in the body, which can damage body cells and increase rates of morbidity and mortality due to conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer
  • Nutrients found in vegetables, such as folate, play a significant role in the development of the brain and spinal cord during the prenatal stage of the lifespan, reducing the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida
• Underconsumption of vegetables:

  • Eating a range of vegetables increases the variety and amount of vitamins and minerals consumed
  • Many of these nutrients promote adequate functioning of body systems, including immune system function, which can reduce the incidence of conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neural tube defects
  • Underconsumption of vegetables is associated with higher rates of these conditions
• Underconsumption of fruit:

  • Like vegetables, fruits provide essential nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and fibre, while being low in fat and a good source of antioxidants
  • Underconsumption of fruit reduces adequate function of body systems and increases the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, and neural tube defects
  • Adequate fruit consumption helps individuals feel full for longer, protecting against weight gain, high body mass index, and associated conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers
• Indicators used to measure and understand health status include:

  • Incidence
  • Prevalence
  • Morbidity
  • Burden of disease
  • Disability-adjusted life year (DALY)
  • Life expectancy
  • Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE)
  • Mortality (including maternal, infant and under 5)
  • Self-assessed health status
• Health statistics are based on large groups of people and do not give information about the health status of individuals
• Self-assessed health status reflects a person's perception of their own health and wellbeing at a given point in time
• Dairy refers to animal milk and products created from animal milk, including cheese and yoghurt
• Life expectancy is defined as the number of years of life remaining to an individual at a particular age if death rates do not change
• Fortified milk substitutes such as soy or almond milk can satisfy dairy needs for those with dairy intolerance
• The main nutritional contribution of dairy is the provision of calcium, essential for strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis
• Underconsumption of dairy increases morbidity and mortality in relation to cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, and dental caries
• High intake of fat contributes to health concerns such as high body mass index, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes
• Different types of fats impact cholesterol levels differently, with saturated and trans fats increasing LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Life expectancy at birth (years):

  • Males: 80.5 years
  • Females: 84.6 years
• HALE (Health-adjusted life expectancy) refers to the average length of time an individual at a specific age can expect to live in full health
• HALE takes into account the average amount of time a person experiences ill health throughout their whole life