Disease Prevention and the Epidemiological Triangle – Flashcards
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Primary Prevention
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stop disease before it occurs
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primary prevention of infectious diseases
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very well-developed and depend on education and personal action/behavior and public health measures, laws, regulations ex. vaccinations and hand washing
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primary prevention of non-infectious diseases
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not well-developed and depend on education and personal action/behavior and the focus is reduction or elimination of risk factors
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Secondary Prevention
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stop or slow the progression of a disease in the earliest possible stage to prevent impairment, disability, or death and relies on early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease
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screening as secondary prevention
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the use of quick, simple, safe, and inexpensive testing procedures to examine apparently healthy people and determine who among them probably has a given disease and who probably does not have that disease
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diagnostic tests as secondary prevention
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Are more complicated, invasive, risky, time-consuming, and expensive than screening tests and are less likely than screening tests to yield false results
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Tertiary Prevention
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Limit advanced disability (improve function) or prevent death where a disease has already occurred and caused damage, relies on diagnosis and treatment of disease, usually followed by rehabilitation
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Epidemiological Triangle
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Interactions among Agent, Susceptible host, and Environment
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agents of a disease
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A factor whose presence (or absence) causes disease
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physical agent
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type of agent that causes injury ex. fire causes burns
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chemical agent
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type of agent that causes injuries or possible cellular damage leading to cancer development ex. Breathing asbestos dust leads to damage to cells which leads to Mesothelioma
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biological agent
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type of agent that causes infectious diseases, categories: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, Protozoa, Parasitic worms, and Parasitic insects ex. A bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes cause Strep throat
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genetic agent
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type of agent that causes inheritable genetic diseases ex. One dominant HD gene inherited from one parent causes Huntington's Disease which develops in middle adulthood (neurological disease, severe dementia)
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nutrient agent
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type of agent that causes nutrient deficiency diseases ex. Lack of vitamin D causes rickets (Abnormal bone development, slow growth)
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psychological agent
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type of agent that causes mental disorders (and possibly physical illness) ex. Exposure to extremely stressful/violent event(s) often results in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), difficult to define, measure, and prove cause and effect
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susceptible host
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Person who has the characteristics required to develop a given disease, characteristics are misunderstood
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immune system
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Recognizes items that do not belong in the body and targets a specific attack against each of them using certain white blood cells and antibody and cytokine molecules
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Factors that influence susceptibility
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Effectiveness of one's immune system, Genetic influences, Age, pre-existing medical conditions, lifestyle/habits, occupation
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Immunocompetence
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Ability of the immune system to recognize and attack foreign (non-self) substances, lack of immunocompetence results in susceptibility
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immune tolerance
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Ability of the immune system to recognize and NOT attack the body's own tissue (self), lack of immune tolerance can lead to autoimmune diseases
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active immunity
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Resistance to an infectious agent due to immune system "memory" from previous exposure
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environments
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All external conditions that influence the development of disease
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natural environments
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Landforms, Bodies of water, Climate, Ecosystems ex. Humans are at risk for Lyme Disease only if they are in an area where Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, deer ticks, field mice, and deer (or other mammals) are present
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built environment
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Urban vs rural, Housing quality, Industries & businesses, infrastructure: Healthcare facilities, roads, water & sewage treatment plants, grocery stores, Pollution & waste disposal
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occupational environment
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working on a farm vs working in an office building vs working in a hospital
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socioeconomic environment
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General economic conditions, effects individuals diet, Housing & other living conditions, Healthcare
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cultural environment
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Understanding of health-related terms & issues, Willingness or ability to act on health-related advice, Religious beliefs, Social "norms"
