Lesson 1

The Task Force in the Heckler brief report found that there were 60,000 yearly excess deaths in minority populations. True False

True

T/F: The U.S. ranks 3rd in life expectancy, compared to all other developed nations.

False

Which of the following is an example of a health DISPARITY: Prostate cancer is higher in men than in women. Breast cancer mortality is higher in Black women than in White women.

Breast cancer mortality is higher in Black women than in White women. Women do not have a prostate, so answer A is a health difference. The fact that Black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than White women is a disparity. The higher death rate cannot be explained solely by biological differences.

Which of the following were the 6 major causes of death that accounted for the majority of excess deaths in the Heckler brief report?

Cancer Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Diabetes Infant Mortality Unintentional Injuries Cirrhosis of the liver

One of the sociologists in the film discussed government policies that, once instituted, improved the health of the nation. He stated that economic policy is __________ policy.

Health

Which of the following is an example of a health INEQUITY? A. Minority patients often receive more inferior health care at poor-performing health institutions compared to non-minority populations. B. Rural hospitals typically have fewer physicians per square mile than urban hospitals.

Minority patients often receive more inferior health care at poor-performing health institutions compared to non-minority populations. The correct answer is A. There is an equity issue involved in minority patients receiving inferior care. This is different from answer B because by design, rural hospitals will have fewer physicians per square mile because the population in rural areas is less dense than the population in an urban area.

Incidence:

The number of new cases of disease during a specified time interval.

What is the name of the landmark study that showed that there was a social gradient in health?

The Whitehall Study

Excess Death:

The rate of death in a specified population above the expected rate for other populations.

Mortality:

frequency of the occurrence of death in a defined population during a specified interval of time (e.g., breast cancer mortality rate in 2010).

Morbidity:

referring to any departure from, subjective or objective, a state of physiological or psychological well-being.

Prevalence:

the number of total cases (new and preexisting) at a specific point in time. Usually expressed as a percentage during a specific year.