Dr. Obumneke Amadi

Pub Hlth & Behavior: Morbidity and Mortality

One Explanation for the Reversal in Morbidity and Mortality during the Past Century,

Either in the U.S.

One of the good reasons for the reversal in advances in morbidity and mortality during

the past century in the U.S is a great increase of advances in public health and health care that

have increased life expectancy and have led to strong changes in the leading causes of death.

Chronic diseases and illnesses have to be the leading causes of death the country, but researchers

have led focus on identifying complex and connected causes of these problems in ways to help

prevent and control them through experimental and community-based interventions. Also, many

diseases prevention organizations have been established to aid the progress of prevention e.g. the

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC, 2011).

Some significant public health accomplishments that occurred in the United States were

among the great advances that led to this success such as the initiations of vaccine-preventable

diseases. Since the production of vaccine, U.S has seen considerable declines in cases,

hospitalizations, deaths, and health-care costs associated with diseases through immunizations

e.g. human papillomavirus vaccines, as well as tetanus, diphtheria (Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (2011).

How Applying Community Health Education Theories Might Have Contributed To the

Reduction in Morbidity and Mortality

The effectiveness of community health education theories appears to be related to

extensive constructive research and a highlighting on changing social and behavioral norms may

have contributed to the reduction in morbidity and mortality, also by employing multiple

interventions theories as the main strategy for achieving population-level change in risk

behaviors and health may have contributed as well ( Merzel, & D'afflitti, 2003) e.g. ecological

model theory is among the communities health education theories, its framework accounts for

the shared interaction of behavior and environment and is describes five levels of influence on

behavior: individual, interpersonal, organizational, community and policy. The theory has

gained greater recognition in the field of health promotion and has been used by researchers in

many different health issues e.g. used in the evaluation of how well a community-based health

intervention to prevent substances of abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and related risky

behavior intervened at multiple levels (Newes-Adeyi, Helitzer, Caulfield, & Bronner, 2000).

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Ten great public health achievements

United States, 2001–2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6019a5.htm

CDC (2011). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6004a12.htm

Newes-Adeyi, G., Helitzer, D. L., Caulfield, L. E., & Bronner, Y. (2000). Theory and practice:

applying the ecological model to formative research for a WIC training program in New

York State. Health Education Research, 15(3), 283-291.

Merzel, C., & D'afflitti, J. (2003). Reconsidering community-based health promotion: promise,

performance, and potential. American journal of public health, 93(4), 557-574.