An Australian Perspective on Health and Human Development

A Global Perspective on Health and Human Development VCE Units 3 & 4

Chapter quiz – Chapter 1: Measuring health status

Chapter quiz

Chapter 1: Measuring health status

Name: ______

True or false

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false.

1The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health includes the word ‘spiritual’. [T / F]

2Optimal health is something we all achieve during our lifespan. [T / F]

3Morbidity is a measure of the number of deaths in a given population due to a particular disease or illness. [T / F]

4The World Health Report is produced annually by the WHO. [T / F]

5A disability adjusted life year (DALY) is a measure of the amount of healthy life lost due to premature death, disability or illness. [T / F]

_____ / 5 marks

Short answer

1Outline one strength and one weakness of the WHO definition of health.

(2 marks)

2Name each of the three components of health and provide an example of good health for each dimension.

(4 marks)

3Name two environmental and two inherited factors that may be involved in determining life expectancy.

(4 marks)

4Define the terms mortality and morbidity.

(2 marks)

5How can a person’s knowledge, attitudes and beliefs influence their health status? Use an example to illustrate your answer.

(3 marks)

_____ / 15 marks

Total: _____ / 20 marks

Answers

True or false

1False – The WHO definition of health refers to physical, emotional and social aspects only.

2False – Optimal health is being healthy in all three components – physical, emotional and social – but not everyone achieves this during their lifespan.

3False – Mortality is rate of death.

4True

5True

Short answer

1One strength is that all of the dimensions of health are acknowledged rather than just referring to an absence of illness or infirmity. One weakness is that it would be virtually impossible to be in optimal health in all dimensions at any one time.

2The three components of health:

Physical health – high level of physical fitness.
Social health – being able to interact effectively with a wide range of different people.
Emotional health – feeling good about oneself; valuing oneself.

3Inherited factors include gender race, genetic potential and predisposition to disease. Environmental factors include access to healthcare, sanitation, safe water, culture, education, SES (socioeconomic status) and so on.

4Morbidity refers to the rate at which a particular disease or illness occurs. It is a measure of the number of people who either currently, or who have recently, suffered from the disease or illness. Mortality refers to numbers of deaths as a consequence of a particular disease or illness.

5Influences on health:

Knowledge – about health are/healthy behaviours.
Attitudes – for example, about smoking or what it is to be fit.
Beliefs – religious beliefs may mean some healthcare options are preferred to others.