Module 4: Burden of Disease Tutorial Slides S2 2025

Introduction to
Public Health
Curtin School of
Population Health
PUBH1000
Module 4:
Burden of
Disease

Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
We acknowledge the Whadjuk people
of the Nyungar nation on whose land we are
gathered and pay our respects to
elders past and present.
As representatives of Curtin University we are proud to honour the Nyungar people and value this
place of shared learning. We recognise the impacts of colonisation on Indigenous Australians and as
active participants in reconciliation we are committed to moving forward together in a spirit of mutual
honour and respect.
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Burden
of
Disease
Welcome
to today's class!
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Acknowledgement of country
Module learning outcomes
Sources of health data
Assessing the credibility of sources
Zombie apocalypse: Discovery
Health indicators
Key concepts
Reflections and discussion
Today's Agenda
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Curtin
University
is
a
trademark
of
Curtin
University
of
Technology
CRICOS
Provider
Code
00301J

Learning
Outcomes
• Describe sources of health data in
Australia and globally.
• Explain contemporary measures of
health and well-being.
• Discuss the role of epidemiology in
public health.
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Key Sources of Health Data
• Australia's health - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Australia's welfare - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Overview of Australian Indigenous health status - Australian
Indigenous HealthInfoNet
• Australian Burden of Disease Study - Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare
• Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia
(HILDA) Survey
• Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
Links available on BB under Other Resources
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Why Source Credibility Matters
• Academic integrity depends on quality evidence
• Poor sources = poor analysis and conclusions
• Different disciplines have different standards
• Source evaluation is a lifelong professional skill
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Key Credibility Indicators
• Authority: Who created the information?
• Accuracy: Is the information correct and verified?
• Objectivity: Is there bias or conflict of interest?
• Currency: Is the information up-to-date?
• Coverage: How comprehensive is the information?
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Academic Sources Hierarchy
1. Peer-reviewed journal articles (gold standard)
2. Academic books and textbooks
3. Government reports and publications
4. Reputable organisation publications
5. Quality news sources and mainstream media
6. General websites, blogs, opinion pieces
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Red Flags in Sources
1. No author or organisation identified
2. Outdated information (especially in health/science)
3. Lack of citations or references
4. Emotional language or sensationalism
5. Conflicts of interest or commercial agenda
6. Claims that contradict scientific consensus
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Using Sources Effectively
1. Cite properly using required style (APA)
2. Contextualise: Explain why the source is relevant
3. Compare: Use multiple sources to verify information
4. Update: Ensure you have most current information
5. Acknowledge limitations: No source is perfect
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Questions for Source Evaluation
For each source in your assessment, ask:
• Is this the best available evidence for my claim?
• Would this source be respected by experts in the field?
• Does this source provide data or just opinion?
• Is this source current enough for my topic?
• Have I properly represented what the source actually says?
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
WARNING: Requires students to do research
D I S COV E RY
A P O C A LY P S E

Scenario based learning
Interrogate the scenario to
identify knowledge gaps and
develop questions that need
to be answered to progress a
response.
Catalyst
Explore research literature
and data to find answers to
help understand the
complexities in the scenario.
Discovery
Consolidate research findings
to help explain the scenario
and develop potential public
health responses.
Synthesis
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
zombie
apocalypse

5 x Groups - Discovery Questions
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
zombie
apocalypse
1. What is a virus? What are zoonotic diseases? What were the origins and
transmission modes of Ebola and Zika in recent outbreaks?
2. What are the differences and similarities in the health system models of Australia,
Taiwan, Germany and the United States of America?
3. What are the International Health Regulations and what do they do? What powers
do emergency declarations provide governments in controlling disease outbreaks
in Australia?
4. How do vaccines work? What are the causes of vaccine hesitancy? How should
public health practitioners respond to vaccine hesitancy?
5. What impact does stigma have on our ability to control infectious diseases? How
do we prevent or reduce stigma and discrimination against people and/or
communities affected by an infectious disease?

Measuring health status
• Health indicators are used to describe the health status of a
population
• Can provide patterns of disease in terms of age, gender, ethnicity,
socioeconomic status & educational opportunity
• This data allows public health authorities to:
• manage, evaluate and plan for health services; and
• prevent, control and treat diseases & health problems
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Health Indicators
They can include:
• Morbidity
• Mortality
• Life expectancy
• Quality of Life
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Morbidity
Morbidity = illness and the reporting of disease
There are two ways of measuring morbidity:
• Prevalence
• Incidence
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Prevalence
• Prevalence is a measure of disease that allows us to
determine a person's likelihood of having a disease.
• The number of prevalent cases is the total number of
cases of disease existing in a population.
Prevalence rate =
total number of cases of a disease in a population
the total population
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Prevalence rate example
• If a measurement of cancer is taken in a population of
40,000 people and 1,200 were recently diagnosed with
cancer and 3,500 are living with cancer, what is the
prevalence rate?
Prevalence rate = (1,200 + 3,500)
40,000
= 0.118 (or 11,750 per 100,000 persons)
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Incidence
• Incidence is a measure of disease that allows us to
determine a person's probability of being diagnosed
with a disease during a given period of time.
• Incidence is the number of newly diagnosed cases of a
disease.
Incidence rate =
number of new cases of a disease
number of persons at risk for the disease
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Incidence rate example
• If, over the course of one year, five women are diagnosed
with breast cancer, out of a total female study population of
200 (who do not have breast cancer at the beginning of the
study period), what is the incidence rate?
Incidence rate = 5 / 200
= 0.025
(or 2,500 per 100,000 women-years of study)
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Morbidity
Prevalence:
old & new cases
Incidence:
new cases only
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Mortality
Mortality is another term for death.
Mortality rate =
number of deaths due to a disease
total population
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

Life expectancy
• Life expectancy is the most used measure to describe population health and
reflects the overall mortality level of a population.
• Life expectancy measures how long, on average, a person is expected to live
based on current age- and sex-specific death rates.
• Life expectancy is often expressed as the number of years of life, from birth, a
person is expected to live.
Males and females born in 2021–2023 in Australia can expect to live on average:
• 81.1 years (males)
• 85.1 years (females)
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-deaths/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy

Life expectancy
• Life expectancy
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-deaths/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy

Epidemiology
Burden of Disease
Mortality vs Morbidity
Key concepts in this module
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Public
Health
History

Epidemiology
Burden of Disease
Mortality vs Morbidity
“The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or
events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the
control of health problems.” (Last, 1991)
The quantified impact of a disease or injury on a population using the
disability-adjusted life years (DALY) measure, which measures how much
healthy life has been lost through premature death or living with illness or
injury.
Mortality - death rate, or the number of deaths in a certain group of
people in a certain period of time.
Morbidity - refers to having a disease or a symptom of disease, or to the
amount of disease within a population.
Key concepts in this module
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Public
Health
History

Let's
Discuss
and
Analyze
Together
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease
Given the Census classifies a person who is working one -hour m inim um pe r
we e k as 'e m ploye d', to what e xte nt do e m ployme nt statistics re fle ct pe ople 's
re al world e xpe rie nce of e arning e nough incom e to support the m se lve s? What
doe s this e xam ple highlight for you whe n thinking about how to inte rpre t
re se arch data?
Question - Interpreting health data

Let's
Discuss
and
Analyze
Together
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease
What is the role of e pide miology in public he alth?
How doe s e pide miology contribute to public he alth de cision-making?
Question - Epidemiology
Given the Census classifies a person who is working one-hour minimum per week as
'employed', to what extent do employment statistics reflect people's real world
experience of earning enough income to support themselves? What does this example
highlight for you when thinking about how to interpret research data?
Question - Interpreting health data

Can you now?
• Describe sources of health data in
Australia and globally.
• Explain contemporary measures of
health and well-being.
• Discuss the role of epidemiology in
public health.
PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease

PUBH1000
Introduction
to
Public
Health
Burden
of
Disease
Next week:
Priority Populations
The use of high quality and credible data helps us understand the scope of a
health issue and importantly whether some population groups are more
impacted than others. Next, we look at marginalisation and how different
responses may be needed for different populations.
We will also be continuing:
Z O M B I E A P O C A LY P S E
S Y N T H E S I S

Module 4: Burden of Disease Tutorial Slides S2 2025

Module 4: Burden of Disease Tutorial Slides S2 2025

More Related Content

Similar to Module 4: Burden of Disease Tutorial Slides S2 2025 (20)

More from Jonathan Hallett (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Module 4: Burden of Disease Tutorial Slides S2 2025