Biostatistics is the branch of statistics responsible for interpreting the scientific data that is generated in the health sciences, including public health. Biostatistics has made major contributions to our understanding of countless public health issues, such as: Chronic diseases, pollution and death rates. When an assertion is made such as "fast foods are causing obesity", or "smoking causes lung cancer," statistics is central in determining how valid these statements are. Biostatisticians have worked to create methods used in population surveys which focuses on data collection that will result in more accurate conclusion of the research data. Biostatisticians also develop analytical tools used in obtaining the most appropriate conclusions …show more content…
Biostatisticians are very good at developing the mathematical tools to measure problems, to determine the associations of risk factors with disease, and models to predict the effect of policy changes. Biostatisticians can create tools necessary to prioritize problems and estimate costs; these cost associations are both inclusive of monetary and undesirable side effects of preventive and curative measures. Biostatisticians use sampling and estimation methods to study the factors related to compliance and outcome. Questions that can be addressed include whether improvement is due to compliance or something else, how best to measure compliance, and how to increase the compliance level in the target population. This effort includes how to design the survey instruments in a way that checks for inaccuracies, and the development of techniques which correct for nonresponse or for missing observations. Finally, Biostatisticians are directly involved in the evaluation of the effect of interventions and whether to attribute beneficial changes to …show more content…
Public health in the United States in the early 1900s focused on improving sanitation, controlling infectious diseases, assuring the safety of the food and water supply, and providing immunizations to children with a workforce composed mostly of physicians, nurses, and biological scientists (Brandt and Gardner, 2000; Garrett, 2000; Mullan, 2000). Today’s public health challenges are much broader. Healthy People 2010 lays out a broad agenda for public health efforts aimed at increasing health-related quality of life and eliminating health disparities (U.S. DHHS, 2000). Koplan and Fleming (2000) outline 10 challenges for public health that include cleaning up the environment, eliminating health disparities, wisely using new scientific knowledge and technology, attending to children’s physical and emotional development, and aging healthily. The solutions will require multi-faceted public health policies, with an ecological approach. This will require well-educated interdisciplinary group of public health professionals whose focus is population health. A specialized set of professionals who also understand that successful interventions require understanding not only of the effects of biology and behavior, but also the social, environmental, and economic contexts within which populations
...in the Twentieth Century”. American Journal of Public Health. May 2010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853635/. Web. 8 April 2014.
Large disparities exist between minorities and the rest of Americans in major areas of health. Even though the overall health of the nation is improving, minorities suffer from certain diseases up to five times more than the rest of the nation. President Clinton has committed the nation to eliminating the disparities in six areas of health by the Year 2010, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be jumping in on this huge battle. The six areas are: Infant Mortality, Cancer Screening and Management, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, HIV Infection and AIDS, and Child and Adult Immunizations.
When we consider the education of our children in the United States, we must consider their health as a significant issue as it can positively or negatively impact a student’s education. It has generally been acknowledged that there is a great disparity in our country in the area of health care. Healthy People2010, a published report put out by the Health and Human Services Division of the Unites States Government (2000) has included as part of its Goals for 2010, to eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population. According to this report, health differences occur depending on a persons gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, rural locality, or sexual orientation. In this paper, I will mostly concentrate on racial and ethnic differences as well as socioeconomic differences. According to the Healthy People 2010 report, biological and genetic differences do not explain the health disparities experienced by non-White populations in the United States. Besides "complex interaction among genetic variations, environmental factors, and specific health behaviors," Health and Human Services says, "inequalities in income and education underlie many health disparities in the United States." Also, "population groups that suffer the worst health status are also those that have the highest poverty rates and least education." Health, United States (1998) reported that each increase of income or education increased the likelihood of being in good health. According to this report, those with less education tend to die younger than those with more education for all major causes of death including chronic diseases, communicable diseases and injuries. There are several factors that account for differences between socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups. These factors include a lower sedentary life style, cigarette smoking and less likely to have health insurance coverage or receive preventive care among these groups.
Griffiths et al., (2005) put forward a conceptual model that examine the causes of ill health and disease in populations, using epidemiology and evidence to change what works to change in practice. This includes three strands: information on health improvement about healthy lifestyle or housing improvements ,health service delivery and quality; and primary care services and promotion of health for example immunisation and screening (RCN,
The health of the American people lags behind those from other developed countries. Federal public health agencies have a wide range of responsibilities and functions which includes public health research, funding, and oversight of direct healthcare providers. It has been a long time since changes have been made to the way the federal government structures its health care roles and programs outside of Medicare and Medicaid (Trust, 2013). With healthcare reform on the horizon now is the time to invest time and money in prevention, not medicine, making it a top priority to improve health and prevent disease. Funding efforts at all levels of the public health continuum need to focus on developing programs aimed at such leading initiatives as tobacco cessation, improving nutrition, supplying safe workplaces, and increasing physical activity in all ages of the population. People should have equal access to quality preventative medicine and education.
“Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans.” ( United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Healthy People 2020 , 2011). It acts as a national guide for disease prevention and health promotion. There are various objectives and goals which serve as the guideline to achieve overall improvement in health . ‘Educational and Community-Based Programs’ is one of them. According to U.S Department of Health and Human Services the main goal of these programs is to “Increase the quality, availability, and effectiveness of educational and community-based programs designed to prevent disease and injury, improve health, and enhance quality of life.” (HHS, Healthy People 2020, 2011). This particular goal of Healthy People 2020 focuses on increasing the number educational and community based programs to increase awareness about disease prevention and health among every individual of the society. It focuses on educating them on various topics including chronic diseases, substance abuse, prevention of injury and violence to encourage and enhance health. It emphasizes on increasing the quantity and quality of such programs so that a larger population could benefit from the program and gain effective knowledge to achieve a healthy life.
Schmid, T. L., Pratt, M., & Howze, E. (1995). Policy as intervention: environmental and policy approaches to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Public Health, 85(9), 1207-1211.
Ormond, B., Spillman, B., Waidmann, T., Caswell, K., & Tereshchenko, B.. (2011). Potential National and State Medical Care Savings From Primary Disease Prevention. American Journal of Public Health, 101(1), 157-64. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from ProQuest Psychology Journals. (Document ID: 2233850141).
Miller, Matthew, Deborah Azrael and David Hemenway. Harvard School Of Public Health. 15 December 2012. 20 february 2013.
...program of nationwide health-promotion and disease-prevention goals set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The goals and objectives of Healthy People 2020 was predicated on a health system accessible to all Americans that would integrate personal health care and population-based public health activities. The goals were first set in 1979, for the following decade. The goals were subsequently updated for Healthy People 2000, Healthy People 2010, and Healthy People 2020. Healthy People 2020 was developed through a broad consultation process, built on the best scientific knowledge, and designed to measure programs over time. It is composed of 467 specific objectives organized into 28 focus areas, as well as two overarching goals. The two goals are "increase quality and years of healthy life" and "eliminate health disparities".
Therefor we see all neighborhoods upper, middle and lower income all have challenges to promote better health. The biggest challenge is for individuals to be able to recognize their own problem areas and have the means and desire to change. The richer folks will most likely just need the desire whereas the middle and low income folks will need both. Finding the ways and means to help the poor achieve better health is a lofty goal that our society should strive to achieve.
Socioeconomic Disparities and health are growing at a rapid rate throughout the United States of America. To further understand the meaning of Socioeconomic Disparities, Health and Socioeconomic disparities & health, this essay will assist in providing evidence. Disparities can be defined in many ways, of which include ethnic and racial background and class types that deal with it the most. Due to the low income some individuals receive, they have less access to health care and are at risk for major health issues. Although, ethnicity and socioeconomic status should not determine the level of health care one should receive or whether not the individual receives healthcare.
Improving population health necessitates a variety of the contributions from health entities. These health entities can be state, local governments, hospitals, health centers, and community organizations. Unfortunately, these contributions and services are not equally distributed throughout the population. Lack of a supermarket in a neighborhood limits residents’ access to healthy food and other resources. Furthermore, ethnic minority and/or low-income communities are burdened with several health disparities such as greater risk for diseases, or limited access to healthcare services (Jackson, 2014). The National Cancer Institute reported that individuals from medically underserved population are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage diseases because they have inadequate resources to education, or health insurance. When an individual does not have adequate access to healthcare services, healthy disparity grows larger in the overall health of a
There are numerous public health problems that can be addressed in my Southside of Chicago community. Among the several public health problems facing my Southside of Chicago community there are two that are more urgent. Health education or one might say lack thereof is a problem that needs to be addressed. My community is plagued with many of the residents suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and the killer virus known as HIV. In most cases these conditions can be prevented with healthier lifestyles and access to nutritious organic foods. In addition, environmental health is another urgent problem my community is facing. Access to clean, safe water and air is supposed to be a fundamental human right aimed at a healthy environment. Yet, my community consists a waste contaminated beach, numerous deteriorated building that are still occupied, and a countless number of restaurant and stores supplying our residents with services that are endangering their health.
Whether or not people notice the importance of statistics, people is using them in their everyday life. Statistics have been more and more important for different cohorts of people from a farmer to an academician and a politician. For example, Cambodian famers produce an average of three tons or rice per hectare, about eighty per cent of Cambodian population is a farmer, at least two million people support party A, and so on. According to the University of Melbourne, statistics are about to make conclusive estimates about the present or to predict the future (The University of Melbourne, 2009). Because of their significance, statistics are used for different purposes. Statistics are not always trustable, yet they depend on their reliable factors such as sample, data collection methods and sources of data. This essay will discuss how people can use statistics to present facts or to delude others. Then, it will discuss some of the criteria for a reliable statistic interpretation.