Introduction to Public Health

Part 1: Introduction to Public Health

• Health Definition: How individuals define health is addressed.
• Public Health Definition: How public health defines 'public health', focusing on populations instead of individuals.
• BIG GEMS: An acronym covering factors in disease causation and prevention.
• Determinants vs. Contributing Causes: Understanding the differences between 'determinants of health' and 'contributory causes' is detailed. Examples of these factors are given.
• Public Health Focus: The primary focus of public health is prevention, differentiating it from clinical medicine's focus on treatment.
• Core Public Health Functions: Three core functions of Public Health, including Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance, are outlined and their impact on improving population health.

Part 2: History & Eras of Public Health

• Health Protection Era: Early efforts in disease control, isolation, and contributions of key figures like James Lind (scurvy) and Edward Jenner (smallpox vaccine) are discussed.
• Hygiene Movement Era: Importance of sanitary conditions and environmental actions are outlined. John Snow's and Ignaz Semmelweis's contributions are detailed.
• Contagion Control Era: Understanding the role of Germ Theory, and Louis Pasteur, in transforming the understanding of infectious diseases is included. This era's effect on mortality rates is examined.
• Social Engineering Era: Overview of how this era focused on vulnerable populations and gaps addressed by programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
• Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Era: Focus on individual behaviors, policy changes, and their significance, with examples like addressing lead, radiation, tobacco, smoking, HIV/AIDS, and obesity.
• Population Health Era: The coordination of public health with healthcare delivery for the benefit of entire populations is detailed.

Part 3: Health Disparities & Social Justice

• Social Justice: Understanding social justice and its relevance to fair health resource distribution is explained.
• Health Disparities: Defining and understanding health disparities and the different ways they can manifest among groups (e.g., racial, economic). Examples of disparities are provided.
• Social Determinants of Health: Examples of social determinants (education, income, and occupational status) and their impact on health conditions, mortality, and overall well-being.
• Social Gradient of Health: The systematic improvement in health outcomes as individuals move up the socioeconomic ladder.
• Equality vs. Equity: The difference between equality (treating everyone the same), and equity (treating people based on their needs).

Part 4: Health Law, Policy, and Ethics

• Health Policy: Definition and how government roles shape public health.
• Typhoid Mary Case: Explanation of the case and its implications for balancing individual liberty with community health.
• Tuskegee Study: Discussion of the unethical violations of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, including lack of informed consent, and its impact on modern research ethics.
• Nuremberg Code & Belmont Report: Key principles from these documents concerning research ethics (voluntary consent, avoiding suffering, etc.) are included. Explanations include the role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in protecting research participants are detailed.

Part 5: Role of Government, Public Health Infrastructure & Preparedness

• Public Health System: Components of the public health system (e.g., CDC, FDA, state/local health departments).
• Universal vs. US Healthcare: Key differences between universal healthcare systems and the US healthcare system, especially in terms of costs and outcomes.
• Disasters vs. Public Health Emergencies: Differentiating between disasters and public health emergencies and various types of events.
• Phases of Disaster Management: Preparation, response, recovery, mitigation and their respective importance.

Part 6: Evidence-Based Public Health

• Epistemology: Defining and applying epistemology in public health.
• Epidemiological Measures: Differences in various epidemiological measures (Morbidity, mortality, incidence and prevalence).
• Correlation vs. Causation: Clarifying the difference between correlation and causation to accurately interpret public health research.
• PERIE Process: Outlining the stages of the PERIE process used to improve public health.
• Study Designs: Types of study designs and their merits for understanding of causes of health effects (e.g., case-control, cohort, etc).
• Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Prevention: Differentiating prevention approaches and examples of interventions.
• RE-AIM Framework: Defining the RE-AIM framework used to evaluate public health programs.

Part 7: Additional Topics

• U.S. Healthcare Costs & Structure: How US healthcare costs compare to other countries and contrasting outcomes and expenditures.
• Health Insurance Terms: Explanations of premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance in health insurance.
• Linking It All Together: Combining policy, ethics, social justice, and epidemiology to highlight challenges in public health.

This quiz explores key concepts in Public Health, including definitions, core functions, and determinants of health. It highlights the distinction between health at an individual and population level, along with historical perspectives. Test your understanding of how public health aims to prevent disease and promote community well-being.