Public Health Indicators

-Automatic translation

Why Public Health Indicators?

Regional Public Health Indicators provide an overview of public health in each residential area compared to the country as a whole. Public Health Indicators aim to make it easier for healthcare services and municipalities to analyze the situation in their districts, find strengths and challenges, and understand the needs of the residents so that they can work in a targeted way to improve health and well-being.

What factors influence health and well-being?

Health and well-being may vary with factors that cannot be changed, such as age, gender, and genetic factors, but also with elements that can be influenced. These include lifestyles such as alcohol and tobacco consumption, diet and exercise, communication with family and friends, living conditions, education, employment, housing, health services, and social services. These factors can contribute to better health or increase the risk of disease. Actions that promote improved working conditions and school environments can, for example, contribute to better health and well-being and reduce inequalities. Regional Public Health Indicators can be helpful for communities that want to focus on the health and well-being of their citizens through membership in the Health Promoting Community and Health Promoting Schools.

Regional differences in health - inequalities

Regional differences in health and well-being are known around the world. To reduce this difference, it is necessary to monitor the indicators that indicate this, pass them on and thus support the prioritization of actions at the state and local level. The Directorate of Health works on health promotion holistically through Health-Promoting Community, Health-Promoting Preschool, Primary and Upper Secondary Schools, and Health-Promoting Workplaces. Emphasis is placed on creating conditions that promote the health and well-being of everyone. Based on regional Public Health Indicators and Health-Promoting Communities, local authorities, health services, and other stakeholders can work together systematically to improve the health and well-being of all residents.

Selection of Public Health Indicators

A lot of work lies behind selecting and implementing regional Public Health Indicators. When selecting Public Health Indicators, attention is primarily on the health and well-being determinants associated with health promotion and prevention. Efforts are also made to highlight the burden of disease, which is essential for the health services of each district to be aware of. Both national and international policies and action plans in various areas of public health are taken into consideration. Further arguments for selecting each Public Health Indicator are discussed in a report.

Norwegian Public Health Indicators were used as a model for presenting the Icelandic Public Health Indicators.

Data

Different data is used in the calculation of Public Health Indicators. This includes data based on the Directorate of Health's health registers, for example in the Causes of Death Register, the Cancer Register, and the Prescription Medicines Register, as well as data from regular surveys such as Health and Wellbeing, monthly monitoring of some of the main determinants of health and well-being and Íslenska æskulýðsrannsóknin. Furthermore, data from Statistics Iceland, Primary Health Care of the Capital Area, Icelandic Health Insurance, and Social Insurance Administration have also been used to calculate Public Health Indicators.