smc-5504-20-Morbidity

HMS, HIC 2013 HSC 21

Outline TWO indicators of morbidity. Include examples in your answer. (3 marks)

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Prevalence measures the proportion of a population with a specific condition at a particular time. For example, the prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes shows how many people currently live with the disease.
Incidence measures the number of new cases developing within a specific time period. For example, cancer incidence tracks how many people are newly diagnosed each year.
Both indicators enable healthcare planners to understand disease patterns and allocate appropriate resources.

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Prevalence measures the proportion of a population with a specific condition at a particular time. For example, the prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes shows how many people currently live with the disease.
Incidence measures the number of new cases developing within a specific time period. For example, cancer incidence tracks how many people are newly diagnosed each year.
Both indicators enable healthcare planners to understand disease patterns and allocate appropriate resources.

HMS, HIC 2014 HSC 1 MC

Which of the following terms describes the level of illness in a given population?

Mortality
Morbidity
Prevalence
Health status

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\(B\)

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B is correct: Morbidity refers to the level of illness in a population.

Other Options:

A is incorrect: Mortality refers to death rates not illness levels.
C is incorrect: Prevalence measures existing cases not overall illness levels.
D is incorrect: Health status is broader than just illness levels.

HMS, HIC 2024 HSC 1 MC

An epidemiologist is researching injury-related disability data in the current Australian
population.

Which epidemiological measure is the researcher likely to be using?

Mortality
Morbidity
Infant mortality
Life expectancy

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\(B\)

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B is correct: Study of morbidity rates, as these measure the prevalence of disease, disorder, injury or disability in a population.

Other Options:

A is incorrect: Mortality measures death rates, not disability.
C is incorrect: Infant mortality specifically measures deaths in children under one year of age.
D is incorrect: Life expectancy measures average length of life, not disability conditions.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 028

Discuss how THREE epidemiological measures are used to explain the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

In your response, include specific examples from health reports to illustrate the role of these measures. (5 marks)

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*PEEL – Solution is structured using the PEEL method; [P] Identify the point, [E] expand on the point with a link to question asked, [Ev] apply evidence/examples, [L] linking sentence back to question.

Mortality rates

[P] Mortality rates are used to identify inequities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status.
[E] This measure shows progress and ongoing inequities.
[Ev] Australia’s Health 2024 reports cardiovascular deaths fell 22% for Indigenous Peoples, yet remain higher than non-Indigenous rates.
[L] This creates evidence of success and challenges requiring continued focus.

Infant mortality rates

[P] Infant mortality rates provide insight into maternal health services, living conditions and healthcare access.
[E] Infant mortality rates have improved from 6.9 to 5.4 per 1,000 births but are still nearly double non-Indigenous rates of 3.1 per 1,000 births.
[Ev] While indicating healthcare access, remote data collection is extremely challenging and can be incomplete.
[L] Despite limitations, this measure is an important determinant of maternal and child health programs.

Prevalence of disease

[P] Prevalence measures the proportion of a population affected by specific conditions.
[E] This reveals chronic conditions requiring programs, although undiagnosed cases affect the accuracy of statistics.
[Ev] For example, the prevalence of diabetes among Indigenous adults (7.9%) is almost double the rate of non-Indigenous Australians (4.1%).
[L] This highlights areas requiring intervention programs and reveals the impact of social determinants of health, including food security and healthcare access in remote communities.

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Mortality rates

[P] Mortality rates are used to identify inequities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status.
[E] This measure shows progress and ongoing inequities.
[Ev] Australia’s Health 2024 reports cardiovascular deaths fell 22% for Indigenous Peoples, yet remain higher than non-Indigenous rates.
[L] This creates evidence of success and challenges requiring continued focus.

Infant mortality rates

[P] Infant mortality rates provide insight into maternal health services, living conditions and healthcare access.
[E] Infant mortality rates have improved from 6.9 to 5.4 per 1,000 births but are still nearly double non-Indigenous rates of 3.1 per 1,000 births.
[Ev] While indicating healthcare access, remote data collection is extremely challenging and can be incomplete.
[L] Despite limitations, this measure is an important determinant of maternal and child health programs.

Prevalence of disease

[P] Prevalence measures the proportion of a population affected by specific conditions.
[E] This reveals chronic conditions requiring programs, although undiagnosed cases affect the accuracy of statistics.
[Ev] For example, the prevalence of diabetes among Indigenous adults (7.9%) is almost double the rate of non-Indigenous Australians (4.1%).
[L] This highlights areas requiring intervention programs and reveals the impact of social determinants of health, including food security and healthcare access in remote communities.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 021 MC

The graph below shows rates of hospitalisation for asthma in Australia from 2010 to 2022.

Which statement best explains how this data represents morbidity in the Australian population?

It demonstrates the prevalence of asthma in Australia.
It indicates the mortality rate associated with asthma.
It shows the burden of illness caused by asthma requiring hospital care.
It reflects the incidence of new asthma cases diagnosed each year.

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\( C\)

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C is correct because hospitalisation rates are a measure of morbidity, showing the burden of illness severe enough to require hospital treatment.

Other options:

A is incorrect as prevalence refers to all existing cases, not just those requiring hospitalisation.
B is incorrect as the data shows illness (morbidity) not deaths (mortality).
D is incorrect as hospitalisations don’t necessarily represent new diagnoses but could include existing cases that are worsening.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 027

How is morbidity data used to assess the health status of Australians? In your answer, outline TWO limitations of using this data. (5 marks)

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*Cause-and-effect language that directly addresses the “How” keyword is bolded in the answer below.

Morbidity data collection begins when healthcare services record illness frequency, duration and severity.
This then flows to health authorities who analyse disease patterns which leads to identification of priority health issues.
As a result, resources target areas with the highest burden.
For example, when hospital data shows high cardiovascular rates in Western Sydney, this causes targeted prevention programs there.
This demonstrates how data directly shapes interventions.

Limitations:

Limited healthcare access creates gaps. This happens when remote or disadvantaged populations avoid medical care. Which leads to unrecorded illnesses. Consequently, data underestimates true burden because it only captures those accessing services.
Missing contextual information affects programs. When data focuses only on disease counts, it fails to capture social determinants like poverty. This causes surface-level interventions. As a result, programs miss root causes because data collection excludes social context.

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*Cause-and-effect language that directly addresses the “How” keyword is bolded in the answer below.

Morbidity data collection begins when healthcare services record illness frequency, duration and severity.
This then flows to health authorities who analyse disease patterns which leads to identification of priority health issues.
As a result, resources target areas with the highest burden.
For example, when hospital data shows high cardiovascular rates in Western Sydney, this causes targeted prevention programs there.
This demonstrates how data directly shapes interventions.

Limitations:

Limited healthcare access creates gaps. This happens when remote or disadvantaged populations avoid medical care. Which leads to unrecorded illnesses. Consequently, data underestimates true burden because it only captures those accessing services.
Missing contextual information affects programs. When data focuses only on disease counts, it fails to capture social determinants like poverty. This causes surface-level interventions. As a result, programs miss root causes because data collection excludes social context.