According to Michel Diaz Suarez, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the public health sector and employment market could not have been expected. It’s more crucial than ever for public health job searchers to keep an eye on health trends to help them in their job hunt. Understanding the most frequent health conditions in America might help shape your employment options, whether you already reside in the United States or live overseas and are considering a relocation to the United States. “What is the most significant public health concern today?” is a good question to ask while determining how to go with your profession.
Knowing the most critical public health concerns in the United States might help you realize where the biggest demand for education and assistance is if you’re a future public health practitioner. Working in direct patient care isn’t the only method to make a difference in public health; other sectors may also play an important role in altering the face of the field. Working in food services and/or nutrition to help people access foods that support their health can all help to reduce the most pressing public health issues in the United States. Technology that leads to better patient care, public policies that make it easier for U.S. citizens to access preventative care, and working in food services and/or nutrition to help people access foods that support their health can all help to reduce the most pressing public health issues in the United States.
It’s also crucial to realize that working as a medical doctor isn’t the only way to aid those suffering from the most frequent health problems in the United States. Nurses, social workers, counselors, politicians, and other professions are all working to enhance the public’s health.
Michel Diaz Suarez ‘s List of Top Healthcare Issues
We’ll look at the top 10 most prevalent health problems in the United States in this article. Staying on top of public health trends may help you make wise career decisions that can optimize your effect on the health of others over time, whether you’re just starting your job search, considering going into healthcare, or seeking for another method to positively affect the health of Americans. Nutrition and Physical Activity
Staying physically active has been shown to help prevent or postpone some diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as reduce depression and enhance mood. Inactivity is a common side effect of growing older, but it doesn’t have to be. Look for fitness and walking programs in your local churches or synagogues, elder centers, and retail malls. If you live and dine alone, your eating habits are likely to be poor, just as they are with exercise. It’s critical for healthy aging to consume nutrient-dense meals while avoiding empty calories found in candies and sweets.
Obesity and Overweight
Hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory issues, dyslipidemia, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers are all linked to being overweight or obese. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health offers comprehensive guidance and practical recommendations on obesity.
Tobacco
Tobacco usage is the leading avoidable cause of disease and death in the United States. Tobacco addiction is often referred to as “tobacco dependent illness.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smokers who try to stop are more likely to succeed if they have the assistance of their doctor.
Abuse of Substances
Drug and alcohol addiction are the most common types of substance misuse. We don’t usually identify these two areas with elders, but seniors, like young people, may self-medicate with legal and illicit drugs and alcohol, which can have major health effects. Seniors may also combine drugs and drink alcohol, either consciously or inadvertently. Many medical professionals neglect to ask seniors about probable substance addiction because of preconceptions about elderly persons.
HIV/AIDS
Seniors over the age of 50 account for 11 to 15% of all AIDS diagnoses in the United States. AIDS cases in persons over 50 increased more than twice as quickly as those in younger adults between 1991 and 1996. Seniors are less likely to use condoms, their immune systems deteriorate with age, and HIV symptoms (fatigue, weight loss, dementia, skin rashes, enlarged lymph nodes) are comparable to those associated with aging. Once again, misconceptions about aging in terms of sexual activity and drug usage keep this issue under the radar. As a result, older citizens are underrepresented in research, clinical medication trials, preventative initiatives, and intervention activities.
Mental Well-Being
Dementia is not a natural component of the aging process. Disease, pharmaceutical responses, visual and hearing issues, infections, dietary imbalances, diabetes, and renal failure can all cause dementia. Dementia comes in numerous forms (including Alzheimer’s disease), and some of them are transitory. Accurate diagnosis necessitates management and assistance. Depression is the most frequent mental health problem that affects people in their latter years. Depression in the elderly can lead to suicide if left untreated. Here’s something you might not know: Suicide rates among old white males are greater than for any other age group, including youth.
Violence and Injuries
Falls are the primary cause of injuries, hospitalizations for trauma, and injury-related mortality among seniors. Every year, one out of every three seniors (age 65 and up) will fall. Exercises to increase balance and strength, as well as medication review, are two strategies for reducing injury. Injury can be reduced by making changes to your home. In order to prevent infiltration, home security is required. Fire-prevention equipment for the home should be in place and simple to operate. People aged 65 and over are twice as likely as the general population to perish in a house fire.
Quality of the Environment
Despite the fact that pollution affects everyone, official studies show that low-income, racial, and ethnic minorities are more likely to reside in locations with environmental hazards. In comparison to the general population, a larger proportion of the elderly live on the edge of poverty.
Immunization
Influenza and pneumonia are two of the top ten causes of mortality among the elderly. Influenza immunization for elders has been emphasized, which has benefited. Pneumonia is still one of the most dangerous illnesses, particularly in women and the elderly.
Health-Care Access
Seniors usually do not pay as much attention to their health as they should. While there is a national scarcity of geriatricians, URMC boasts one of the largest groups of geriatricians and geriatric specialists of any medical center in the country. Your health care is as close as URMC, which provides a variety of services in a variety of locations, including the VA Hospital in Canandaigua, senior housing, and in your neighborhood.
Harms caused by alcohol
Excessive alcohol intake is responsible for around 88,000 fatalities in the United States each year. Excessive alcohol consumption can result in injuries, such as automobile accidents, falls, drownings, and burns; violence, such as homicide, suicide, and sexual assault; alcohol poisoning; unsafe sexual practices; and miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant women, to name a few. High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive disorders; cancer; learning and memory problems; mental health problems; social problems; and alcoholism are all long-term health dangers.
Keeping food safe
Each year, one out of every six Americans becomes ill from foodborne disease, which leads to 3,000 fatalities. The cost of foodborne infections is estimated to be $15.6 billion per year by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Foodborne disease, on the other hand, may be avoided, and the CDC and USDA play a key role in promoting food safety at the federal level.
Infections linked to healthcare
When patients are being treated at a healthcare institution, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) might occur. Every day, around one in every 25 hospital patients gets a HAI such central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, or surgical site infections. To prevent HAIs, the CDC and its partners have created tools and services.
Stroke and heart disease
In the United States, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of mortality. Heart disease claims the lives of around 610,000 individuals each year. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are all targets for prevention. In the meanwhile, over 130,000 people die each year as a result of a stroke. Because stroke can impair movement, it is also a leading cause of disability.
HIV
Although the number of new HIV infections is decreasing, over 44,000 persons were diagnosed in 2014. Approximately 1.2 million Americans are infected with HIV, and roughly a third of them are unaware of their status. HIV and AIDS claim the lives of over 7,000 people each year. Continuing to educate the public about measures to avoid HIV transmission, from abstinence to proper condom use to never sharing needles, is critical.
Accidents involving motor vehicles
Every year, more than 32,000 people are killed in car accidents, and another 2 million are injured. Drunk driving accounts for one-third of all fatalities, while speeding accounts for nearly another third. The CDC promotes adult seat belt use, child car seat use, and driving without distractions or impairments such as alcohol or drugs.
Obesity, nutrition, and physical activity
The general public is aware that poor diet, inactivity, and obesity are linked to a variety of health issues. The CDC is attacking this complicated public health issue from the ground up, starting with schools, which should provide a high-quality lunch program and guarantee that children have access to only nutritious foods and drinks. Multiple organizations can assist individuals in determining their BMI, maintaining a healthy weight, and incorporating physical exercise into their life as part of obesity prevention.
Overdosing on a prescription medicine
Prescription opioid fatalities, including as oxycodone and hydrocodone, have doubled since 1999, according to the CDC. The CDC has responded by issuing prescribing guidelines for healthcare practitioners and encouraging states to implement prescription drug monitoring systems. There is a desire to make addiction treatment more widely available.
Pregnancy among teenagers
Despite the fact that the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy is declining year after year, about 250,000 infants were delivered to girls aged 15 to 19 in 2014. Teens require the assistance of their parents and other trusted adults, who can assist them in making healthy decisions regarding relationships and sexual activity, according to the CDC.
Tobacco consumption
Approximately 16.8% of individuals aged 18 and above, or 40 million Americans, smoke. Although the proportion is decreasing, smoking remains a major health risk in the United States. It is the major cause of sickness and death that may be avoided. To protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, the CDC advises raising tobacco product prices, adopting statewide smoke-free legislation, and maintaining tobacco control program funding.
You might wish to seek a career in public health if you’re interested in solving these health challenges. Rivier University provides undergraduate and graduate public health degrees entirely online.