63 Questions
What is the definition of health according to the World Health Organization?
Complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing
What is the purpose of using indicators to measure health status?
To measure the extent of achieving program objectives
What does an indicator help to measure?
Extent of achieving program objectives
What are indicators also known as?
Variables
What do health status indicators measure?
Different aspects of the health of a population
What is the main characteristic of an indicator?
Direct measurability
According to the text, how is health defined?
'A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing'
How is health measured according to the text?
'In terms of illness or lack of health'
'Indicator' is susceptible to what kind of measurement?
'Direct measurement'
'Indicators' help to measure what regarding program objectives?
The extent to which program objectives are being attained.
What is another term for 'Indicator'?
Index
What does Sullivan’s Index measure?
Probability of bed disability and inability to perform major activities
What are the anthropometric measurements of pre-school children used for?
Measuring chronic malnutrition
What is the WHO Joint Learning Initiative's threshold for health workers per 10,000 population?
25 health workers
What do healthcare utilization indicators reflect?
Proportion of people in need of a service who actually receive it
What do indicators of social and mental health provide a guide for?
Improving social well-being
What does the household crowding index measure?
Total number of co-residents per household relative to the total number of rooms
What do environmental indicators reflect?
Quality of physical and biological environment
What does the Physical Quality of Life Index consolidate?
Infant mortality, life expectancy at age of 1yr, and literacy
What dimensions are represented by the Human Development Index?
Longevity, Education, and Gross national income (GNI) per capita
What is the single most important indicator of political commitment in health policy?
Allocation of adequate resources
What are indicators used for in measuring health?
Measuring, describing, comparing, identifying health needs, and planning and evaluation of health services
What does the use of multiple indicators arranged in profiles or patterns allow for?
Comparison between areas, regions, and nations
What is the definition of crude mortality rate (CDR)?
The mortality rate from all causes of death for an entire population
What is the definition of mid-year population?
The population size at the midpoint of the time interval
What does the infant mortality rate measure?
Deaths under 1 year of age in a given year to the total number of live births
What does the under-5 mortality rate reflect?
Number of deaths occurring in the under-5 age group per 1000 live births
What is the definition of perinatal mortality rate?
Deaths between 28th week of gestation to less than 7 days of life
What does the cause-specific mortality rate measure?
The proportion of all deaths attributed to a specific disease
What do morbidity indicators reveal?
The burden of ill health in a community without measuring subclinical disease states
What is the definition of incidence in terms of morbidity indicators?
The number of new events or new cases of a disease in a defined population within a specified period of time
What does prevalence measure in terms of morbidity indicators?
The total number of individuals who have an attribute or disease at a particular time divided by population at risk
'Notification rates' for morbidity indicators are calculated from:
'Notification rates' are calculated from reporting to public authorities about certain diseases, e.g. yellow fever, poliomyelitis
What is an indicator in the context of health?
A measurement that directly reflects the state of health of individuals
What is the main characteristic of a health indicator?
It is susceptible to direct measurement and reflects health status
What do indicators help to measure?
The extent to which program objectives are attained
What do health status indicators measure?
The physical, mental & social well-being of individuals
What does the under-5 mortality rate reflect?
The mortality rate due to any cause in children under 5 years old
What does the concept of health, as defined by the World Health Organization, include?
Complete physical, mental & social well-being, and absence of disease or infirmity
What does an indicator reflect in the context of health?
It reflects the consequences of ill-health and illness
What does the infant mortality rate measure?
The mortality rate due to any cause in infants under 1 year old
What does the use of multiple indicators arranged in profiles or patterns allow for?
It allows for measuring multiple dimensions of health status
What is an index or variable called in the context of health?
Indicator
What do indicators reflect regarding program objectives?
They reflect the extent to which program objectives are being attained
What does the Physical Quality of Life Index consolidate?
It consolidates different aspects of the quality of life in a population
What is the definition of the crude mortality rate (CDR)?
The mortality rate from all causes of death for an entire population, usually expressed as per 1000 or 100
What does the infant mortality rate measure?
The number of deaths under 1 year of age in a given year to the total number of live births in the same year
What is the main characteristic of an indicator?
Should be sensitive to changes in the situation concerned
What dimension do morbidity indicators reveal?
Burden of ill health in a community
What is used as an estimate of the average population at risk when calculating mortality rates?
Population size at the midpoint of the time interval
What does the neonatal mortality rate measure?
Deaths in the first 28 days of life expressed as per 1000 of total live births
What does the Sullivan’s Index measure?
Expectation of life free of disability
What do nutritional status indicators reflect in pre-school children?
Height-for-age– measures chronic malnutrition
What is the WHO Joint Learning Initiative's threshold for health workers per 10,000 population?
25 health workers (doctors, nurses and midwives)
What do healthcare utilization indicators reflect?
Proportion of people in need of a service who actually receive it
What do indicators of social and mental health provide a guide for?
Improving the health of people
What do environmental indicators reflect?
Proportion of population having access to safe drinking water
What is the main characteristic of an indicator used in health?
Valid, sensitive, specific, reliable, relevant and feasible
'Indicators' help to measure what regarding program objectives?
Allocation of adequate resources
What does the Physical Quality of Life Index consolidate?
Infant mortality, life expectancy at age of 1yr and literacy
What is the single most important indicator of political commitment in health policy?
Proportion of GNP spent on health services.
What dimensions are represented by the Human Development Index?
Longevity, education, and GNI per capita
What do indicators help to measure in terms of health status?
Aspect of health
Study Notes
Definition of Health
- Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Health Indicators
- Indicators are also known as indices or variables.
- The main characteristic of an indicator is that it is susceptible to measurement.
- Indicators help to measure health status, program objectives, and progress towards goals.
- Health status indicators measure various aspects of health, such as mortality, morbidity, and healthcare utilization.
Mortality Indicators
- Crude mortality rate (CDR) is the number of deaths per 1,000 mid-year population.
- Mid-year population is used as an estimate of the average population at risk when calculating mortality rates.
- Infant mortality rate measures the number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births.
- Under-5 mortality rate reflects the number of deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1,000 live births.
- Perinatal mortality rate measures the number of stillbirths and deaths of infants in the first week of life per 1,000 total births.
- Cause-specific mortality rate measures the number of deaths due to a specific cause per 1,000 population.
Morbidity Indicators
- Morbidity indicators reveal the incidence and prevalence of diseases.
- Incidence measures the number of new cases of a disease within a specific time period.
- Prevalence measures the total number of cases of a disease within a specific time period.
- Notification rates for morbidity indicators are calculated from the number of reported cases.
Other Health Indicators
- Sullivan's Index measures the number of years of life lost due to premature mortality.
- Anthropometric measurements of pre-school children are used to assess nutritional status.
- Household crowding index measures the number of people living in a household.
- Environmental indicators reflect the quality of the environment and its impact on health.
- Physical Quality of Life Index consolidates indicators of mortality, morbidity, and nutrition.
- Human Development Index represents the dimensions of life expectancy, education, and income.
- The WHO Joint Learning Initiative's threshold for health workers is 23 per 10,000 population.
Purpose of Health Indicators
- Indicators help to measure health status, track progress, and identify areas for improvement.
- The use of multiple indicators arranged in profiles or patterns allows for a comprehensive understanding of health status.
- Indicators reflect the concept of health as defined by the World Health Organization, which includes physical, mental, and social well-being.
Test your knowledge on health indicators and how they are used to measure the status of health. Learn about the characteristics, uses, types, and computation of health indicators, along with interpreting the results.
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