Epidemiology and the stages of disease prevention
In this activity, you will apply the concept of prevention in terms of stages to a chronic disease control strategy in your country and consider the ways in which epidemiology can inform public health intervention.
Step 1: Review Table 6.1 “Levels of prevention” found on page 104 in this resource: Basic Epidemiology. (see attachment here)
WHOBasicEpidemiology.pdf
Step 2: Choose one non-communicable chronic disease that is either prevalent in your community and one that you should know about as an APN.
Step 3: Briefly describe several actions the APN, the state and US could take to contribute to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of your chosen chronic disease.
Please address each of the following points in 200 to 300 words:
Primary: Briefly research (using online resources from a government, university, or professional association) and summarize the common risk factors for your chosen disease. Explain one or more actions your state/country could take to reduce the population’s exposure to one or more of these risk factors. (Note: Specify if you are recommending a strategy that targets the entire population or only high-risk individuals. ‘Population strategy’ and ‘High-risk individual strategy’ are described on pages 105-108 of the activity resource.)
Secondary: Briefly describe at least one common screening test for your chronic disease, and one or more actions your state/country could take to increase access to or increase public awareness of the benefits of this test. (Government websites are often a good place to get information about screening programs in your country. For example, information on cancer screening in the U.S.A. can be found here: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/)
Tertiary: Summarize one or more actions the healthcare system in your state/country could take to reduce the progression or complications of the disease you chose to focus on. (For example, you could describe the treatment, rehabilitation, or any other approaches that would help people, with the chronic disease, live longer and healthier lives).
Please be sure to adhere to the following when posting your weekly discussions:
1. Students are to write their name and the appropriate discussion number/discussion title in the title bar for each discussion. For example Discussion 1: Micheal Cabrera or Discussion 3: Sheila Smith. This is important in identifying that students are submitting original posts as well as response posts as required.
2. Students are to submit their discussions directly onto Blackboard Discussion Board Attachments submitted as discussion board posts will not be graded.
3. As a reminder, all discussion posts must be minimum 500-550 words, references must be cited in APA format 7th Edition, and must include minimum of 3 scholarly resources published within the past 5-7 years (not part of the classroom coursework).