Measuring Health Measuring Health How do you EVALUATE

Measuring Health

Measuring Health How do you EVALUATE indicators of health?

Measuring Health How accurate is the data? How is the data collected? Can you make comparisons? What factors affect the data? Is it measuring health or is it a factor which affects health?

Measuring Health Make notes evaluating each of the following indicators: Life expectancy, CDR, IMR, HALE, DALY, Calorie intake, access to safe water, access to health care. PG pages 450 -452

Measuring Health • Life Expectancy • It is an AVERAGE. • Pollution levels, conflict, occupation, shelter, food, medical facilities, income, literacy. • You can split the total population into different groups (cohorts) to compare some of these differences within a population. • Rich v poor, urban v rural, male v female, ethnic groups, age groups. • Life expectancy figures can be affected by high IMR. If you survive infancy you could live much longer than the life expectancy figures suggest.

Measuring Health • Death Rate • The problem with using CDR (Crude Death Rates) is it is affected by the age structure of the country. • If all other things are equal CDR goes up as the average of the population goes up.

Measuring Health • Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy • HALE is based on life expectancy, but includes an adjustment for time spent in poor health. • This indicator measures the equivalent number of years in full health that a newborn child can expect to live based on the current mortality and morbidity rates. • HALE is a measure of quality as well as quantity of life.

Measuring Health • Disability Adjusted Life Years • DALY measures the impact of premature death and disability on society • DALY = YLL + YLD • One DALY = one year of healthy life lost. • Controversial measurement – judgements?

Measuring Health • Age Sex Specific Death Rate • The death rate for a particular age group within the population (male/female) • Most common… • INFANT MORTALITY (First year of life) • CHILD MORTALITY (First 5 years)

Measuring Health • Infant Mortality • Many deaths in this age group are preventable (low birth weight, jaundice, gastroenteritis, pneumonia) and therefore IMR decreases dramatically as medical care is improved. • For this reason IMR is seen as an accurate indicator of development.

Measuring Health • Calorie intake • Average amount of calories consumed person per day. • Recommended calorie intake per day for women is 2000 and men is 2500.

Measuring Health • Access to safe water • Defined as having access to improved drinking water (piped, well, standpipe etc) as the main source of water.

Measuring Health • Access to Health Services. • “pop per doc”. • Usually measured docs per 100, 000 people.

You will be allocated an indicator. We will play a quick game where you have to persuade the rest of the class that your indicator is the best measure of health

Disease prevention in China • Discuss the geographic factors that determine the emphasis placed by policy makers in China’s Guizhou province for prevention rather than treatment. • Pages 452 -458. Answer 3, 4, 5, 6 on page 458