SPH 200 Exam #1 - Measuring
the Health of Populations 2026
Exam Questions and Correct
Answers | New Update
what must we do before measuring health? - ANSWER ✔✔define it.
how did we previously define health?
why? - ANSWER ✔✔1. as the absence of disease.
2. infectious diseases plagued populations. if you had no diseases, you
were considered healthy.
,what happened that made the WHO redefine health? - ANSWER
✔✔The ability to combat disease via medical and public health
interventions advanced and health became more positive.
How did the WHO define health in 1946? How has that definition been
modified? - ANSWER ✔✔a state of complete physical, mental, and
social well-being. it is much more positive than "the absence of disease".
are heath and disease opposites?
give an example/ - ANSWER ✔✔1. No. while disease is a relatively
objective term, well-being is subjective and based on experience
2. being physically healthy but not mentally or socially well or vice versa.
4 types of "health" - ANSWER ✔✔1. wellness without disease or
injury
2. wellness with disease or injury
3. illness with disease or injury
4. illness without disease or injury.
what is seen as the most healthy we can get?
is this the case?
why? - ANSWER ✔✔1. wellness without disease or injury
,2. no
3. health can always be improved, and thus should not be measured in a
finite way that does not allow for advancements in physical, mental, or
social determinants of health.
should there be some minimal acceptable level of health?
what did the WHO do to deal with this? - ANSWER ✔✔1. yes.
2. revised its definition of health.
how did the WHO revise its definition?
what does this allow for?
give an example - ANSWER ✔✔1. the definition became a level of
health that permits people to lead socially and economically productive
lives.
2. allows for people with disease to be considered "healthy" and still
economically and socially productive.
3. a person with early stage cancer or an obese person can still be
socially and economically productive and relatively healthy although they
have some sort of negative physical health state.
3
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2026. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, we can measure health in _____ and _____ ways - ANSWER ✔✔1.
quantitative
2. qualitative.
for example, in children, _______ milestones are relatively normal
example - ANSWER ✔✔1. quantitive
2. measuring the health of young children using percentiles based on
growth/cognitive development metrics that are established and can be
tracked.
however as we age, we lose what?
explain
example - ANSWER ✔✔1. the ability to provide rigid expectations on
physical health.
2. it becomes harder to establish quantifiable standardized health
metrics on how we expect individuals to be.
3. Cecilia Steenberg vs a standard version of an old woman - how do
you define health in quantitative ways?
therefore measuring health needs to include what? - ANSWER
✔✔qualitative elements that are influenced by social and cultural factors
the Health of Populations 2026
Exam Questions and Correct
Answers | New Update
what must we do before measuring health? - ANSWER ✔✔define it.
how did we previously define health?
why? - ANSWER ✔✔1. as the absence of disease.
2. infectious diseases plagued populations. if you had no diseases, you
were considered healthy.
,what happened that made the WHO redefine health? - ANSWER
✔✔The ability to combat disease via medical and public health
interventions advanced and health became more positive.
How did the WHO define health in 1946? How has that definition been
modified? - ANSWER ✔✔a state of complete physical, mental, and
social well-being. it is much more positive than "the absence of disease".
are heath and disease opposites?
give an example/ - ANSWER ✔✔1. No. while disease is a relatively
objective term, well-being is subjective and based on experience
2. being physically healthy but not mentally or socially well or vice versa.
4 types of "health" - ANSWER ✔✔1. wellness without disease or
injury
2. wellness with disease or injury
3. illness with disease or injury
4. illness without disease or injury.
what is seen as the most healthy we can get?
is this the case?
why? - ANSWER ✔✔1. wellness without disease or injury
,2. no
3. health can always be improved, and thus should not be measured in a
finite way that does not allow for advancements in physical, mental, or
social determinants of health.
should there be some minimal acceptable level of health?
what did the WHO do to deal with this? - ANSWER ✔✔1. yes.
2. revised its definition of health.
how did the WHO revise its definition?
what does this allow for?
give an example - ANSWER ✔✔1. the definition became a level of
health that permits people to lead socially and economically productive
lives.
2. allows for people with disease to be considered "healthy" and still
economically and socially productive.
3. a person with early stage cancer or an obese person can still be
socially and economically productive and relatively healthy although they
have some sort of negative physical health state.
3
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2026. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, we can measure health in _____ and _____ ways - ANSWER ✔✔1.
quantitative
2. qualitative.
for example, in children, _______ milestones are relatively normal
example - ANSWER ✔✔1. quantitive
2. measuring the health of young children using percentiles based on
growth/cognitive development metrics that are established and can be
tracked.
however as we age, we lose what?
explain
example - ANSWER ✔✔1. the ability to provide rigid expectations on
physical health.
2. it becomes harder to establish quantifiable standardized health
metrics on how we expect individuals to be.
3. Cecilia Steenberg vs a standard version of an old woman - how do
you define health in quantitative ways?
therefore measuring health needs to include what? - ANSWER
✔✔qualitative elements that are influenced by social and cultural factors
