Chapter 2 – Healthy Behaviors and Wellness

Health Problems in North America

North Americans today experience health problems that people who lived 100 years ago did not encounter. What are the factors that account for these health problems that have arisen over the past 100 years?

Most health problems faced by people in the North America are chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease that are preventable and caused by everyday choices and unhealthy lifestyles. The social determinants of health play a large role in influencing these choices.

In the video Healthy People 2020 and Determinants of Health, you will learn about the social determinants of health. Healthy People 2020 is a federal advisory committee comprised of non-federal, independent subject matter experts who gather data and provide advice on how to promote health and prevent disease:

The link below provides more information about the leading causes of death in North America:

Leading Causes of Death – Statistics Canada link at https://shorturl.at/bEHS2

Leading Causes of Death – CDC US link at https://shorturl.at/ajlw8

The 2021 chart below that shows the leading cause of death by age group in the US. 

Leading Cause of Death by Age Group – CDC UShttps://shorturl.at/bFR59

Percent distribution of the 10 leading causes of death, by age group, United States 2019, in pie chart form. This chart is on page 11 of the National Vital Statistics Report Volume 70, Number 9
Fig 2.1 Percent distribution of the 10 leading causes of death, by age group, United States 2019

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Fitness for Paramedics: A Guide for Students at Cambrian College, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2024 by Lynn Kabaroff and Martin Dubuc is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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