NHPC BPH flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Core functions of public health

Assessment, policy development, and assurance. These three functions organize the Ten Essential Public Health Services and describe the population-level scope of public health practice.

Primary prevention

Actions taken before disease onset to prevent exposure or disease, such as immunization, water fluoridation, and health education. It contrasts with secondary and tertiary prevention.

Incidence rate

Number of new cases of a disease occurring in a population during a specified period, divided by the population at risk. It measures the risk of developing disease.

Relative risk

Ratio of disease incidence in exposed persons to incidence in unexposed persons. A value above 1 indicates increased risk associated with exposure.

Sensitivity

Proportion of people with the disease who test positive (true positives divided by true positives plus false negatives). It reflects a test's ability to detect disease.

Standard error of the mean

Standard deviation divided by the square root of the sample size. It quantifies the precision of a sample mean and decreases as sample size increases.

Type I error

Rejecting a true null hypothesis, denoted by alpha. It is the probability of a false positive finding and is commonly set at 0.05.

Confidence interval

A range of values, calculated from sample data, that is likely to contain the true population parameter. A 95% interval excludes the null when the result is significant.

Hierarchy of controls

Order of occupational hazard controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. Earlier steps are more effective and protective.

Dose-response relationship

The observation that the magnitude of a biological response increases with increasing exposure dose. It supports causal inference in environmental and occupational epidemiology.

Health Belief Model

Behavior change model based on perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. It explains why people adopt preventive health behaviors.

Stages of Change model

Transtheoretical model with precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination stages. Interventions are matched to the person's current stage.

Universal health coverage

All people receive needed health services without financial hardship. It has three dimensions: population covered, services covered, and proportion of costs covered.

QALY

Quality-adjusted life year, a measure combining length of life and quality of life. One QALY equals one year in perfect health and is used in cost-utility analysis.

Skilled birth attendance

Birth attended by a trained health professional such as a doctor, nurse, or midwife. It is a key intervention for reducing maternal and newborn mortality.

Exclusive breastfeeding

Feeding an infant only breast milk, without water or other foods, for the first six months. It reduces diarrhea, infection, and malnutrition.

Herd immunity

Indirect protection of unvaccinated people when a sufficient proportion of the population is immune. The threshold equals 1 minus 1/R0.

DOTS strategy

Directly observed treatment, short-course for tuberculosis. It combines supervised drug intake, sputum testing, and a reliable drug supply to improve cure and prevent resistance.

Kwashiorkor

A form of severe protein-energy malnutrition marked by edema, low albumin, and often adequate calorie intake. It is distinguished from marasmus, which shows severe wasting.

Five keys to safer food

Keep clean; separate raw and cooked food; cook thoroughly; keep food at safe temperatures; use safe water and raw materials. These are WHO food safety principles.

Informed consent

Voluntary authorization by a person with capacity after disclosure and understanding of relevant information. It is a core requirement of ethical research and clinical practice.

Declaration of Helsinki

A 1964 statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. It established review by ethics committees and voluntary informed consent.

Cohort study

A study that follows exposed and unexposed groups over time and compares disease incidence. It directly measures relative risk and is suited to rare exposures.

Case-control study

A study comparing past exposures of people with a disease to those without it. It measures odds ratios and is efficient for rare diseases.

Number needed to treat

The number of patients who must receive an intervention for one additional person to benefit. It equals 1 divided by the absolute risk reduction.

Intention-to-treat analysis

Analysis that includes all randomized participants in their assigned groups regardless of adherence. It preserves randomization and gives a realistic estimate of effectiveness.

Logistic regression

A regression model for binary outcomes that estimates the odds of an event as a function of predictors. Coefficients are reported as odds ratios.

Kaplan-Meier curve

A survival analysis method that estimates the probability of survival over time while accounting for censored observations. It is used in cohort and trial follow-up.

Water treatment train

Sequence of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. It removes particles and pathogens to produce safe drinking water.

Social marketing

Application of commercial marketing principles (product, price, place, promotion) to promote healthy behaviors. It segments audiences and pretests messages for effectiveness.

Cost-effectiveness analysis

An economic evaluation comparing the cost per unit of health outcome, such as cost per life-year gained or per DALY averted. It helps prioritize interventions.

Kangaroo mother care

Skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, and early discharge for low-birth-weight infants. It reduces mortality, infection, and hypothermia compared with conventional care.