Morbidity Definition

What is morbidity’s definition? What is the definition of morbidity? Why is it important to learn about morbidity? Let’s find out!

Morbidity definition – Meaning of morbidity

Define morbidity: Health is important for social and economic growth, and this is becoming more and more clear. Indicators are needed to find out how healthy a community is, to compare how healthy one country is to another, to figure out what health needs are and how to meet them, and to keep track of and evaluate health resources, activities, and programs. Changes in health status can be measured with the help of variables. One of them is morbidity indicators. What does morbidity mean?

Morbidity is having a disease or a sign of a disease or the number of people in a population who have a disease. Morbidity can also mean health problems that come from a treatment.

The morbidity is the state of being sick, while mortality is the state of being dead. Both concepts can be used on an individual level or across a population. For example, a morbidity rate looks at how often a disease happens in a population and/or location during a single year. The mortality rate is the rate of deaths in a population. The two are frequently combined to estimate the prevalence of a disease, such the measles, and how likely it is to be fatal, especially for particular demographics.

In its 6th report, the WHO Expert Committee on Health Statistics said that morbidity could be measured in terms of three units:

• The number of people who were sick,
• The type of illness they had, and
• Length of time they were sick.

Why is morbidity important

Why is it important to learn about morbidity? The importance of morbidity data can be summarized in the following points:

• They tell what kinds of diseases are in a community and how widespread they are. This helps set priorities.
• Most of the time, they give more complete, accurate, and clinically relevant information about the patient. So, it’s essential for basic research.
• They are the starting point for aetiological studies, which are a key part of preventing disease.
• They are required for disease control activity monitoring and evaluation.

The following morbidity rates are used to measure the health of a community.

• Incidence and prevalence
• Notification rates
• The attendance rate at the outpatient department, health centers, etc
• Admission, readmission, and discharge rates
• Length of time in the hospital and periods of sickness or absence from work or school

It is incorrect to describe health simply in terms of mortality rates. This is because mortality indicators do not reveal the burden of illness in a community.

As a result, morbidity indicators supplement mortality data to reflect a population’s health status. Morbidity statistics have drawbacks; they tend to ignore many conditions that are preclinical or inapparent.

Morbidity of Obesity

Obesity and overweight are systemic conditions characterized by an excessive and abnormal accumulation of body fat that results in negative health effects. Obesity has terrible health and economic impact on individuals and society. Moreover, fifty percent of the European population is overweight, and up to thirty percent is obese, a proportion that has doubled worldwide since 1980.

Obesity is connected with increased mortality rates due to comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, steatohepatitis, certain forms of cancer, gastric reflux, polycystic ovarian syndrome, arthritis, and infertility.

Psychosocial dysfunction, obstructive sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis are direct outcomes of increasing fat mass. Other disorders connected with obesity are caused by the metabolic effects of fat cell enlargement.

Obesity and its implications are a significant cause of illness; diminished quality of life and its complications can substantially affect life expectancy.

In conclusion, obesity increases global mortality. It is evident that the morbidity and increased mortality associated with overweight and obesity are substantial and should demand more focus on the need for proper weight control in health care.

I hope you understand about morbidity definition in health and social care.