Core Functions of Public Health

What is the primary purpose of monitoring health status in public health?

Which of the following is NOT a core function of policy development in public health?

Which of the following is a function of assurance in public health?

What is the primary purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of health services in public health?

Why is research important in public health?

What is the term that describes the ability of a disease agent to establish itself in the host?

What is the term that measures the severity of a disease caused by a specified agent?

Which of the following terms describes the ability of an agent to cause disease?

After becoming infected, what is the outcome for the host?

What is the relationship between infectivity and pathogenicity?

Core Functions of Public Health

Assessment

Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems
Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues

Policy Development

Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems
Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of healthcare when otherwise unavailable

Assurance

Assure a competent public and personal health care workforce
Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems

Disease Agent Characteristics

Infectivity refers to the ability of a disease agent to establish itself in a host, which does not necessarily mean the host will become diseased.
Pathogenicity describes the ability of an agent to cause disease in a host.
Virulence is a measure of the severity of a disease caused by a specific agent, typically measured under controlled environmental conditions.
Virulence can be quantified by the ability of an agent to cause death.

Learn about the essential roles of public health, including monitoring health status, diagnosing health problems, and developing policies to support community health.