Major determinants of non- communicable chronic diseases (NCD).Strategies for prevention & control of NCD (1/2)
1) Risk factors for health – classification:
Primary and secondary risk factors:
- Primary: Inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, stress and tension, smoking.
- Secondary: fatigue, injury, overweight, pain, bowel/bladder problems.
On the level of the individual and on the level of the public health:
- Individual health: state of health/fitness, our life styles, our posture and out work habits
- Public health: unsafe sex, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene.
2) Life style and health:
Nature of the lifestyle:
- Life style is the way in which a person lives.
- Health behaviour- action taken by an individual to maintain, attain good health and prevent any illness. Such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet etc.
- Prevention health behavior: activity undertaken by an individual who believes himself to be healthy.
- Illness behavior: an activity that under taken by an individual who perceives himself to be ill.
Types of risk factors from the lifestyle, Contribution of the lifestyle for the impairment of health:
- Diet and nutrition: eating healthy helps maintain a good diet and reduces the chances of becoming ill, excess weight puts strain in the entire circulatory system. Also make people have high cholesterol; high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which cane increase stoke risk.
- Physical Activity: regular physical activity will improve overall health and fitness, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
- Tobacco use and smoking: smoking doubles the risk of stroke when compared to non-smokers. Smoking increases clot formation thickens blood and increases the amount of plaque build-up in the arteries.
- Alcohol: use has been linked to stroke in many studies. Drinking too much alcohol can increase blood pressure and risk of stroke.
3) Heredity, as a risk factor for health- contribution:
- Family history is often one of the strongest risk factors for common disease complexes, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes.
- A person inherits a complete set of genes from each parent.
- Inherited genetic variation within families clearly contributes both directly and indirectly to the pathogenesis of disease.