C1 Qu2 DP2 High levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems - CVD

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Ambrose Green
5 years ago
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C1 Qu2 DP2 High levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems - CVD Hey guys, So the next thing we need to look at when identifying priority issues for improving Australia

The syllabus focuses on - Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease, injury and mental health problems and illnesses.

1 C1 Qu2 DP2 High levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems - CVD Hey guys, So the next thing we need to look at when identifying priority issues for improving Australia s Health is learning about high levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems. The syllabus focuses on - Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease, injury and mental health problems and illnesses. The syllabus asks you to research and analyse 3 conditions CVD, cancer and ONE other condition. In this section, our ONE other condition will be diabetes. You will see, all three conditions have similar determinants of health and groups that are at risk. For each of these 3 conditions we will investigate the 5 areas the syllabus requires, including: 1. Nature of the problem 2. The extent of the problem, i.e. the trends 3. Risk factors and protective factors 4. The sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental determinants 5. The groups at risk However, because this is a huge dot point, we will be looking at each of these conditions in separate videos. So lets start video one with cardiovascular disease, which is also known as CVD.

2 We first need to look at the nature of the problem. There are 3 main types of CVD. There is coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease, which we will explain in a moment. However, before we do, it is important to note the underlying cause of all 3 conditions is due to atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis it the build up of fatty deposits (or plaque) along the inner lining of the arteries. It makes it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. It can cause a blockage and stop blood delivering oxygenated blood to various parts of the body. Whilst arteriosclerosis is when the arteries loses it s elasticity and becomes firm due to the fatty deposits hardening along the artery wall. Now, let s look at the 3 main types of CVD in more depth. The first is coronary heart disease, which is also known as ischemic heart disease. This condition can lead to heart attacks or angina. The arteries leading to the heart are narrowed, less blood and oxygen reach the heart. The plaque restricts blood flow through the arteries, which in turn can cause the heart attack. A heart attack may be fatal. The second is cerebrovascular disease or stroke. This is caused by a blockage of blood supply to the brain. When there is an insufficient blood flow to the brain, oxygen is restricted. This causes damage to the brain and it stops working. If only a part of the brain is deprived oxygen, then it will not be able to function and control the bodily functions it is responsible for. For example, if a stroke occurs and the part of the brain controlling speech is affected, then the person s ability to speak will be affected. The third is peripheral vascular disease. The occurs when there are blockages to your limbs - limbs meaning your arms and legs. Because effective delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles is stopped, gangrene may occur, that is the muscle tissue dying, and the limb will require amputation to remove the dead limb. In some cases, it may lead to death.

3 In terms of the extent of the problem, CVD is still the leading cause of mortality in Australia. A lot of this is due to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, a high fat diet and physical inactivity. However, we are seeing a decline in the rates of CVD due to increasing awareness [and therefore a reduction in modifiable risk factors] and improved technology [including medical care and treatment]. Lets have a look at the risk factors associated with CVD. We can break them down into modifiable [meaning things we can change] and non modifiable [which is things we cant change]. The modifiable risk factors include: - smoking - poor diet (obesity) - physical inactivity - high blood pressure - high blood cholesterol - high stress levels Our non modifiable risk factors are - Age (males over 40, females over 65) - family history - being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage [ATSI] - and if you suffer from diabetes We also have protective factors that are generally factors that oppose the modifiable risk factors. They can include - a good diet which is low in fats and salt and minimal alcohol consumption - not smoking, - exercising regularly - managing your stress levels - and monitoring your cholesterol and blood pressure through regular checks at your GP. These protective factors are choices we can make in life. We as individuals can choose to be healthy especially if we know that we have non-modifiable CVD risk factors present in our life.

4 So there are 3 factors that can affect our level of health in regards to CVD. These factors are called determinants and include Socioeconomic, Sociocultural and Environmental Determinants. Socioeconomic determinants include socioeconomic status, employment and education. So this means that where you live, how much you earn and what type of education you have, all interrelate. An example being, if you have lower levels of education, employment and income, it often means less money to spend on healthy foods, health services/facilities [including doctor visits and/or screenings]. AND less awareness of the modifiable risk factors. Sociocultural determinants can increase a groups likelihood of developing CVD, especially when culture impedes accessing health information. For example, those with a non-english speaking background have less access to health products, services and facilities due to language barriers and a lack of knowledge of what is available to them. Environmental determinants can also impact our risk of developing CVD. This can be due to location and air/water/and food quality. For example, people who live in rural and remote areas are at higher risk. These areas often have less access to health care, lower levels of education and employment. This can lead to unhealthy behaviours, including increased levels of smoking and poor health options. It is important to note: rural and remote areas have a high percentage of ATSI, therefore CVD is a common health risk for this population group. And finally the groups at risk include people who - smoke, - are obese, - have poor diets, - and those with a family history are at risk. - Additionally, indigenous people, - people who live in rural and remote areas, - people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or born overseas are also seen as being in the higher risk category.

5 So just to recap, we learnt about Cardiovascular Disease in depth. - the nature of CVD - the extent of the CVD, and it s trends the trends - the risk factors and protectors of the CVD - the sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental determinants - AND groups at risk to developing CVD Watch the next video to investigate the other compulsory condition, Cancer

C1 Qu2 DP2 High levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems - Cancer

C1 Qu2 DP2 High levels of preventable chronic disease, injury and mental health problems - Cancer Hey guys, In the last video we explored CVD. The next compulsory priority area to look at is cancer. In