Community Health: Concepts, History, and Challenges

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Questions and Answers

What important role do medical laboratory professionals play in diagnostic services?

bacteriologists, microbiologists & biochemists

What is the main purpose of service learning?

to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities

What are the components of all Service-Learning Programs?

Enhanced academic learning, Purposeful Civic Learning, Reflective Observation, Evolving new paradigms

What is the primary purpose of governmental health agencies?

to promote, protect, and maintain health in a community Signup and view all the answers

Which organization is considered the primary international health agency?

World Health Organization (WHO) Signup and view all the answers

Quasi-governmental health organizations operate independently of government supervision.

True Signup and view all the answers

__________ are funded by private contributions, membership dues, and grants.

Nongovernmental Health Agencies Signup and view all the answers

Match the level of health care with its corresponding description:

Primary Level of Care = First contact health facility in the community Secondary Level of Care = Capable of performing minor surgeries and simple lab tests Tertiary Level of Care = Specialized healthcare by specialists in medical centers Signup and view all the answers

Define health according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Health is a 'state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease.' Signup and view all the answers

What is included in the multidimensional view of health according to Wood and Patrick?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Personal health is only influenced by individual actions and decisions.

False Signup and view all the answers

Community health includes private & public efforts of individuals, groups, or organizations to promote, protect, and preserve the health of those in the ____________.

community Signup and view all the answers

Match the following health factors with their descriptions:

Physical Factors = Factors such as geography, environment, community size, and industrial development Social & Cultural Factors = Factors like beliefs, traditions, religion, politics, prejudices, economics, social norms, and socioeconomic status (SES) Community Organization = Refers to the ways in which communities organize their resources Individual Behaviors = Often overlooked but play a crucial role in community health Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Community Health - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Definition of Health

Health is a positive state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease (WHO, 1948)
Measures of health: morbidity rates, mortality rates, quality of life measurements, disability-adjusted life year (DALY), sickness impact profiles

Dimensions of Health

Biological: interacting organisms sharing the same environment
Sociological: a group of interacting people larger than a household living in a common location
Psychological: includes intent, beliefs, needs, resources, preferences, and risks

Community

A group of people who form relationships over time by interacting regularly around shared experiences
Composed of people, place, identity, common culture, social system, and governing a place

Personal Health vs. Community Health

Personal health: individual actions and decision-making that affect the health of an individual or their immediate family
Community health: a field within public health that focuses on the health of people in the same geographic area

Factors Affecting Community Health

Physical factors: geography, environment, community size, industrial development
Social and cultural factors: beliefs, traditions, prejudices, economics, socio-economic status
Community organization: ways in which communities organize their resources
Individual behaviors: takes the concerted effort of many individuals to make a community program work

Public Health

Definition: the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting healthy behaviors through organized efforts
Goal: to improve the quality of life for the greatest number of people
Core element of government's attempt to improve and promote the health and welfare of citizens

Brief History of Community and Public Health

Evidence of community health practices in earliest civilizations (e.g., Northern India, Sumerian clay tablet)
Middle Ages: little progress in public or community health
Renaissance and Exploration: renewed interest in causes and cures of diseases
18th Century: Industrial growth and poor sanitary conditions
19th Century: beginning of the modern era of public health, bacteriologic period of public health
20th Century: health resources development period, reform period, health promotion period

Accomplishments (1900-1999)

Vaccination: eradication of smallpox, elimination of polio, control of measles, rubella, tetanus, Hib, etc.
Motor vehicle safety: large reductions in motor-vehicle-related deaths
Safer workplaces: reduced work-related health problems
Control of infectious diseases: typhoid, cholera, TB, STDs
Decline in deaths from coronary disease and stroke: due to risk factor modification
Safer and healthier foods: decreased microbial contamination, increased nutritional content
Healthier mothers and babies: better hygiene, nutrition, and access to healthcare
Fluoridation of drinking water: reduction in tooth decay
Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard: promote cessation, reduce second-hand smoking

Outlook for Community Health in the 21st Century

Challenges: greatly reduce the burden of excess morbidity and mortality, counter potential threats to health, develop more effective health systems, expand the knowledge base
Opportunities: healthier future for all, recognition of the importance of public health, increasing access to healthcare### Philanthropic Foundations
Provide money for projects and research to benefit society, particularly in health improvement
Have resources to support long-term or innovative research projects
Examples include Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation (e.g., vaccine for yellow fever), and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (e.g., access to medical & dental care)

Members socialize with like-minded individuals
Examples include Jaycees, Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, American Legion, and Lion's Club
Mission: Service to others in their communities

Corporate Involvement

Corporations impact community health through environmental treatment, natural resource use, waste disposal, work environment safety, and product/service offerings
Provide health care benefits to employees, including health and benefits packages, health and safety education programs, and worksite fitness and recreation programs

Levels of Health Care and Referral System in the Philippines

National: National Health Services, Medical Centers, and Teaching and Training Hospitals
Regional: Regional Health Services, Regional Medical Centers, and Training Hospitals
Provincial/City: Provincial/City Health Services, Provincial/City Hospitals
Emergency/District: Emergency/District Hospitals
Rural Health Unit: Community Hospitals and Health Centers, Private Practitioners, and Barangay Health Stations

Levels of Care

Primary Level of Care

First contact between community members and health facilities
Health care provided by center physicians, public health nurses, rural health midwives, barangay health workers, traditional healers, and others at barangay health stations and rural health units

Secondary Level of Care

Health facilities (private or government-operated): infirmaries, municipal, and district hospitals, and out-patient departments of provincial hospitals
Capable of performing minor surgeries and simple laboratory examinations
Given by physicians with basic health training
Referral center for primary health facilities

Tertiary Level of Care

Rendered by specialists in health facilities: medical centers (regional, provincial hospitals, and specialized hospitals)
Referral center for secondary care facilities
Provides complicated cases and intensive care
Example: Philippine Heart Center

Note

Higher levels of care have more qualified health personnel and sophisticated health equipment

Teaching Community and Public Health

Uses a service-learning approach
Important role of public health laboratory professionals (e.g., bacteriologists, microbiologists, biochemists) in diagnostic services
Examples: BSMLS (Allied Medical Courses)

Service-Learning

A teaching and learning approach integrating community service with academic study
Enriches learning, teaches civic responsibility, and strengthens communities
Engages students in reflection on community benefits and learning outcomes

Service-Learning Roles

Composed of roles that integrate community service with academic study

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Description

This quiz covers the concepts and principles of community health, differentiating it from personal and public health, and discusses its history and major health problems faced by communities.