Pub Hlth & Behavior: Morbidity and Mortality

1. 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

2. 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.