Assignment- Factors that affect human population trends
Visit your state or county's website where vital statistical information is provided. Write a 2-page paper that analyzes and addresses factors that affect vital statistics and population trends.
Discuss how these factors affect the population growth rate in the U.S. Be sure to list at least three factors and provide statistical data in your analysis. Make sure to provide a minimum of three
Lesson Content
What is Population Health?
In order to develop an understanding of what "Population Health" means, start by examining the component words. Population can be described as all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country. Population can also be a particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area. Health can be described as a state of being free from illness/injury or a person's mental or physical condition.
It is understandable that most of us consider our health care as something provided to us as an individual by other individuals or teams, for example our doctor, midwife, nurse or dentist. Population health challenges you to look at health from a different perspective. Think about the population as a whole. What are the challenges that we all face? With Population Health, we start with the premise of having an understanding of the health of a population group to enable people to make better decisions about their own health care and they can also enable health workers to make better decisions about individuals and populations within their care.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is a Federal Organization devoted to seeking fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. NIEHS provides leadership and direction to programs designed to improve the health of the Nation by conducting and supporting research:
in the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and cure of human diseases;
in the processes of human growth and development;
in the biological effects of environmental contaminants;
in the understanding of mental, addictive and physical disorders; and
in directing programs for the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information in medicine and health, including the development and support of medical libraries and the training of medical librarians and other health information specialists.
NIEHS Epidemiology Branch
The NIEHS also has a department called the Epidemiology Branch, which is discussed in more detail in the Epidemiology lecture that follows.