WHO Definition of Health PDF

WHO Definition of Health “A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  Main Terms Health: “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO) Happens bec...

WHO Definition of Health “A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  Main Terms Health: “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO) Happens because of (risk or preventive) factors Determinants of health: the biological, behavioral, social, environmental, political, and other factors that influence the health status of individuals and populations Determine defines as To cause, affect, or control To give direction or tendency to To impel HS1002A: Personal determinants of health; HS1002B: Social determinants of health Health research: the investigation of health and disease or any of the factors that contribute to the presence or absence of physical, mental, and social health among individuals, families, communities, nations, or the world population To understand what determines the health Types of Health Research Clinical research evaluates the best ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat adverse health issues that adversely affect individuals and families Medicine: the practice of preventing, diagnosing, and treating health problems in individuals and families Population health research focuses on the health outcomes and the determinants of health in groups of humans (populations) Public health: the actions taken to promote health and prevent illnesses, injuries, and early deaths at the population level Biological (basic medical) research looks at changes at human cellular level that can be related to the health outcomes The Research Process Research is the process of systematically and carefully investigating a subject in order to discover new insights about the world Five steps 1. Identify a study question 2. Select a general study approach 3. Design the study and collect data 4. Analyze data 5. Write and share a report about the findings  Brainstorming the ‘Question’ Brainstorming is the process of generating long lists of spontaneous ideas about possible research questions Source: personal experiences, knowledge acquired from coursework, clinical or public health practice, and informal reading about subjects of interest Clear, practical and focused: who, where, when, what, why, and how often Goal: understanding the issue, needs assessments, program evaluations, clinical effectiveness studies, and other types of health-related research For a checklist go to page 8 of your textbook Concept mapping: visual listing of ideas and grouping them to reveal relationships Brainstorm to generate a list of words or phrases Use circles and arrows to group related topics and to visualize the connections between them  Focus the Question on: Exposure, Disease, Population (EDP) “Is [exposure] related to [disease/outcome] in [population]?” Exposure: a personal characteristic (socioeconomic status), behaviour (smoking), environmental encounter (pollution), or intervention (treatment) that might change the likelihood of developing a health condition Outcome: an observed event such as the presence of disease in a participant in an observational study or the measured endpoint in an experimental study Population: a group of individuals, communities, or organizations with identifiable similar characteristics Standard of Health Research: PICOT What is the Patient (or Population) group and Problem that will be studied? What is the Intervention that will be tested? What will the intervention be Compared to? What is the Control group? What is the Outcome of interest? What is the Timeframe for follow-up? If thought carefully can generate evidence and used for interventions  What Makes a Question a Good Research Question? 1) A real question Value statement like “mental health is important” or “tobacco use is bad” are not useful for framing research projects A research plan should not be formulated based on a predetermined call to action like “people should exercise more” or “first aid should be a mandatory part of the middle school curriculum” 2) Testable Can be answered using currently developed health research methods 3) Generalizable Research findings must be applicable to beyond the study population, in order to advance science 4) Purposeful Designed to answer one well-defined and specific research question Refining the Study Question Four key questions: 1. What is the one well-defined research question that the study will answer? 2. What specific aims, objectives, or hypotheses will enable the key question to be answered? 3. Would a conceptual framework be helpful for guiding the design, analysis, and interpretation of the study and its results? 4. Is the proposed study feasible? Is there a high likelihood that the research team will be able to answer the study’s main research question? Study Goal The single overarching objective of a research project or the main question that a research project seeks to answer General examples: Page 26 of the textbook In Conceptualization of the Study Goal Consider… 1. What is the one key question that this study will answer? 2. What is already known about the research topic? What is the gap or limitation in knowledge that needs to be addressed? 3. What is the significance of the problem that the study will address? 4. What will be innovative about the research project? How will the study resolve the current gap or limitation in knowledge? 5. What is the likely impact of this research project? If the study is successful, how will it help advance health in relevant populations?  Specific Objectives Carefully described action that will help the researcher make progress toward achieving the big-picture goal Most studies in the health sciences have two to four specific aims, with three the most typical number The enumerated items should take the form of a question or a “to” statement that uses an action verb, like “to measure” or “to compare” For experimental studies, the specific aims may take the form of hypotheses that will be tested Sequential vs. Independent Objectives Sequential: chronological list of actions that will achieve the main goal Independent: related but independent objectives. When one objective is not achieved, it will not prevent successfully completion of the other objectives A Good Specific Objective (Aim) The characteristics of a good specific objective can be summarized using the acronym SMART: Specific Measurable Attainable (or Achievable) Relevant (or Realistic) Timely (or Time-bound) Theoretical Frameworks Theoretical framework: a set of established models in the published literature that can inform the components and flows of the conceptual framework for a new research study We use models in health research To organize our thoughts To explore determinant/health relationships in a systematic manner As a guide for analysis To identify ‘modifiable’ factors for intervention  Conceptual Model A model that a researcher sketches using boxes and arrows to illustrate the various relationships that will be evaluated during a study A Conceptual model describing the relationship between community level social capital and injuries