AQA · A-Level · Geography
Course version: 7037 · Version from Sept 2018
The global prevalence and distribution of one specified non-communicable…
Full specification wording
Environment, health and well-being: The global prevalence and distribution of one specified non-communicable disease, eg a specific type of cancer, coronary heart disease, asthma; its links to physical and socio-economic environment including impacts of lifestyles. Impact on health and well-being. Management and mitigation strategies.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a non-communicable disease with rising global prevalence, historically distributed in high-income countries but now rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income…
Checked against the AQA 7037 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 4 of 5
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a non-communicable disease with rising global prevalence, historically distributed in high-income countries but now rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income nations. Physical environmental links include exposure to air pollution, while socio-economic factors involve urbanisation and poverty limiting access to nutritious food. Lifestyle impacts are profound, with diets high in saturated fats, physical inactivity, and smoking significantly raising risk. CHD severely impacts health and well-being, causing premature mortality, chronic angina, and reduced quality of life. Management and mitigation strategies include lifestyle education campaigns, taxation on sugary foods, and medical interventions like statins or bypass surgery.
What earns the marks
- Clear outline of the global prevalence and changing distribution of the chosen non-communicable disease.
- Explanation of how lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, directly impact the risk of developing the disease.
- Assessment of the physical and socio-economic environmental links, including urbanisation and income levels.
- Evaluation of the success of management and mitigation strategies, from government policies to individual medical treatments.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming non-communicable diseases only affect wealthy populations in high-income countries.
Put it right: Emphasise that the burden is rapidly shifting to low- and middle-income countries due to changing lifestyles.
Ignoring the physical environment's role in non-communicable diseases.
Put it right: Include physical factors such as air quality or the built environment, such as a lack of green spaces for exercise.
Providing generic management strategies without specific examples.
Put it right: Name specific interventions, such as the UK sugar tax or smoking bans, when discussing mitigation.
Exam tips
- Clearly distinguish between physical environmental factors and lifestyle choices, while acknowledging how they interact.
- Use a specific case study or country example to illustrate the socio-economic impacts of the disease.
- Critically evaluate mitigation strategies by considering barriers to their success, such as cultural habits or corporate lobbying.
Try the lesson
The start of the Environment, health and well-being: The global prevalence and distribution of one specified non-communicable disease, eg a specific type of cancer, coronary heart disease, asthma; its links to physical and socio-economic environment including impacts of lifestyles. Impact on health and well-being. Management and mitigation strategies. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which statement best describes the current global prevalence and distribution of coronary heart disease (CHD)?
Listen
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a non-communicable disease with rising global prevalence, historically distributed in high-income countries but now rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income nations. Physical environmental links include exposure to air pollution, while socio-economic factors involve urbanisation and poverty limiting access to nutritious food. Lifestyle impacts are profound, with diets high in saturated fats, physical inactivity, and smoking significantly raising risk. CHD severely impacts health and well-being, causing premature mortality, chronic angina, and reduced quality of life. Management and mitigation strategies include lifestyle education campaigns, taxation on sugary foods, and medical interventions like statins or bypass surgery. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Clear outline of the global prevalence and changing distribution of the chosen non-communicable disease. Explanation of how lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, directly impact the risk of developing the disease. Assessment of the physical and socio-economic environmental links, including urbanisation and income levels. Evaluation of the success of management and mitigation strategies, from government policies to individual medical treatments. A common slip: Assuming non-communicable diseases only affect wealthy populations in high-income countries. Instead, Emphasise that the burden is rapidly shifting to low- and middle-income countries due to changing lifestyles. Exam tip: Clearly distinguish between physical environmental factors and lifestyle choices, while acknowledging how they interact.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Lifestyle and health
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Socio-economic determinants of health
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Public health policy
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Lifestyle and health
- Diets high in saturated fats, physical inactivity and smoking significantly raise the risk of coronary heart disease.
- Socio-economic determinants of health
- Urbanisation and poverty limit access to nutritious food, linking the socio-economic environment to coronary heart disease.
- Public health policy
- Management and mitigation strategies include lifestyle education campaigns and taxation on sugary foods.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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