VCE Health and Human Development study guide
VCE Health and Human Development · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
VCE Health and Human Development is a Victorian Certificate of Education study administered by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). It suits senior secondary students who want to understand health and wellbeing - their own, their community's and the world's - through biological, behavioural, social and environmental perspectives, and who may be heading toward health sciences, public health, education, community services or nursing pathways. The VCE Health and Human Development study guide has 4 sections and about 1,631 words.
01Health and human development concepts and perspectives
Start with the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health : a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Know that it is criticised for the word complete (few people are ever fully well, and it can exclude people living with chronic conditions) and for omitting spiritual health.
421 words, about 2 min02Health and wellbeing in a global context
Learn the classifications used to compare countries: high-income, middle-income and low-income countries (World Bank classifications by gross national income per capita), and be careful to describe high-income versus low-income countries rather than using outdated language. Know the range of health status indicators used globally: life expectancy, under-five mortality rate, maternal mortality ratio, infant mortality rate, morbidity, incidence and prevalence, burden of disease, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), self-assessed health status.
385 words, about 2 min03Health and wellbeing in Australia
Know the current health status of Australians : high life expectancy, but a large share of the burden of disease from non-communicable diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal conditions, mental and substance use disorders, respiratory conditions, diabetes). Understand burden of disease in Australia and the leading risk factors (tobacco, high body mass index, dietary risks, high blood pressure, alcohol use, physical inactivity).
418 words, about 2 min04Health and human development in a globalised world
Understand globalisation as the increasing integration and interdependence of economies, societies and cultures, driven by trade, investment, technology, travel and communication. Know its positive and negative effects on health and human development : positives include access to medicines, knowledge sharing, economic growth, improved food supply and emergency response; negatives include the spread of infectious disease, marketing of unhealthy products, tobacco and alcohol availability, environmental damage, exploitative labour and widening inequality.
407 words, about 2 min