Basic Concepts in Public Health Statistic-Classmate (Sharon) response (2) Topic 1 DQ 1
QUESTION- TOPIC 1 DQ 1 -Statistics is an important component of public health. Explain the relevance of statistics in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a health promotion intervention. How do you envision using statistics in your current or future career?
Classmate Response- (Sharon Cole) Response (2)
Accurate, comprehensive, high-quality data and statistics are not the only central elements of evidence-based public health policy. Data and statistics help raise health awareness among the general public; they can also help achieve better social and health outcomes and reduce health inequalities (Guidi et al., 2021). Thus, integrating statistics and analytic techniques into public health research is a critical asset to the agency. It has resulted in important applications in various disciplines, such as epidemiology, economics, and the behavioural and social sciences. Since CDC’s inception, an essential function of the agency has been the compilation, analysis, and interpretation of statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve health. Data sources include vital statistics, medical, personal interviews, telephone and mail surveys, physical examinations, and laboratory testing. In addition, public health surveillance data have been used to characterize the magnitude and distribution of illness and injury; track health trends; and develop standard curves, such as growth charts (Sieber et al., 2006).
Statistics are essential in public health and is used all the time; it is a part of public health practices; as a public health practitioner, it would guide me to have a more objective approach in my discipline. It would also help me communicate factual findings to others, whether to the agency I am employed or to the population. This will help promote health and prevent people’s sicknesses.
References
Guidi, C.F, & Umbach, G. (2015). The importance of Statics in Public Health Sector Analysis. Retrieved September 11, 2021, from https://epthinktank.eu/2015/11/25/the-importance-of-statistics-in-public-health-sector-analysis/
Sieber, W.K, Green, T, & Williamson., G.D. (2006). Statistics and Public Health at CDC. Retrieved September 11. 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su5502a9.htm
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE !!
Solution
Classmate Response- (Sharon Cole)
I agree with you that statistics is the foundation of public health and other related disciplines such as epidemiology. Statistics in public health can therefore be compared to the taking of vital signs of a patient such as heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature in clinical practice. Public health practitioners monitor the health of communities through statistical methods, which include collecting and analyzing different forms of health data (Hayat et al., 2017). The collected data is then referred to as health statistics. Health statistics, therefore, make up the assessment function of public health. The assessment function of public health is important for populations and communities in that it helps in the detection of new health threats, identification of risk groups in a given population, the planning of various public health programs, and the subsequent evaluation of such programs. Authorities in communities such as local state and federal authorities also rely on statistics to prepare an adequate budget for public health interventions (Hayat et al., 2017). Public health, therefore, relies on statistics to provide data and also relies on such statistics to adequately interpret such data. Statistics also help to present complex numerical information that is relevant, reliable, and comparable in a complete and up-to-date manner. In most instances, the need for different public health interventions in different communities or populations is not normally evident. However, through statistics and data analysis, the need for public health interventions in given communities or populations becomes evident. For example, a community may not be able to tell it has an issue with high cardiovascular disease rates unless it analyses health records from various healthcare facilities. The recognition of a public health issue through statistics makes it easy for public health leaders to convince authorities to fund public health interventions (Hayat et al., 2017).
References
Hayat, M. J., Powell, A., Johnson, T., & Cadwell, B. L. (2017). Statistical methods used in the public health literature and implications for training of public health professionals. PLOS ONE, 12(6), e0179032. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179032