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Epidemiology & Interesting Health Statistics

10/11/2011 by 3icreative

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Red = unhealthiest states, White = healthiest states, based on 21 health factors measured in 2005. Health Care State Rankings, Morgan Quinto Press

Epidemiology is the tracking of the changing patterns of illness, including the frequency, distribution and causes of illness in a population. Each week, the CDC issues the MMWR – The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Morbidity is the number of cases of a particular disease. Mortality refers to the number of deaths due to a particular cause. Tracking these types of statistics helps health psychologists examine the physical and social environment to help determine the cause of, and prevent/reduce, illness.

Major contributors to death in the United States*

  • Tobacco (400,000)
  • Diet and activity patterns (300,000)
  • Alcohol (100,000)
  • Microbial agents (90,000)
  • Toxic agents (60,000)
  • Firearms (35,000)
  • Sexual behavior (30,000)
  • Motor vehicles (25,000)
  • Illicit drug use (20,000)

* stats from 2000

Note that most of these are behavior-related issues that could/should be changed. Because these are linked to decision-making, the Health Psychologist plays an important role in promoting change. They study why people make poor health decisions, or fail to follow-through when it comes to executing healthy lifestyle changes.

More Interesting Health Statistics

  • Americans spend over $1.7 TRILLION annually on healthcare services – more than other developed counties.
  • The healthcare industry is the largest service sector in the U.S.
  • From 2007 – 2009, the healthcare industry added 428,000 jobs.

Filed Under: Psychology Tagged With: Health Psychology, Statistics

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