Chronic Disease Basics
This branch of epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of chronic conditions and focuses on preventing long-term health problems
What is chronic disease epidemiology?
Extreme heat, cold, radiation, and climate change are examples of this type of environmental risk factor
What are physical risk factors?
This lifestyle factor is the leading cause of preventable chronic conditions like lung cancer, COPD, and heart disease
What is smoking?
These diseases, like heart disease or diabetes, develop slowly and often last for years
What is chronic disease?
Improvements in nutrition, housing, sanitation, and immunization led to a major shift from these types of diseases to chronic diseases
What are infectious diseases?
Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic are linked to kidney failure, neurological disorders, and certain cancers. What type of risk factor are these?
What are chemical risk factors?
Lack of this can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but even small amounts of it add up to major benefits
What is physical activity?
This unhealthy habit is the leading cause of preventable death and chronic illness in the U.S.
What is smoking?
The model of disease where a single causative agent like a bacterium or virus is responsible is called
What is the monocausative model?
Workplace accidents, vehicular collisions, and noise exposure are all considered part of this risk factor category
What is environmental risk?
This substance, when consumed heavily or long-term, damages multiple organ systems including the liver, brain, and heart, and increases cancer risk
What is alcohol?
Name one reason why chronic diseases have become more common than infectious diseases
What is improved sanitation, nutrition, housing, or vaccines?
Unlike infectious diseases that often follow a monocausative model, chronic diseases usually follow this kind of etiology
What is multifactorial etiology?
This environmental issue increases respiratory disease risks and skin cancer by thinning Earth’s protective layer
What is ozone depletion?
Chronic stress and poor sleep habits can contribute to the development of these three health conditions
What is heart disease, diabetes, and mental health disorders?
This WHO model explains disability as the result of health conditions interacting with the environment and personal factors
What is the ICF model?
This framework explains how multiple factors, both internal (like genetics) and external (like smoking), interact to cause chronic diseases
What is the web of causation?
Besides physical or chemical, name two other categories of environmental risk factors for chronic diseases
What are biological and social environments?
A diet high in processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats contributes not only to poor health but also to this national problem, which exceeded $1 trillion in costs by 2023
What is the economic burden of poor diet?
These three types of factors ---------, ----------, and --------- are the main causes of chronic health problems
What are environmental, behavioral, and hereditary factors?