Question

Discuss in your own words the importance of health risk assessment in general? (In a paragraph not in the form of points) not less than 150 word

Answer 1

Health risk assessment is one of the most widely used screening tools in the field of health promotion and is often the first step in multi-component health promotion programs. It is a questionnaire which provides an individual an idea about health risks and quality of life.

The main objectives of a HRA are to:

Assess health status

Estimate the level of health risk

Inform and provide feedback to participants to motivate behaviour change to reduce health risks.

In the United States, HRA’s are being used to identify people with health problems that need immediate attention.

Risk assessments are very important as they form an important part of an occupational health and safety management plan. They help to Identify who may be at risk, create awareness of hazards and risk. They also determine if existing control measures are adequate or if more should be done to prevent injuries or illnesses, especially when done at the design or planning stage. They also prioritize hazards and control measures. And meet legal and juridical requirements wherever applicable.

An example for this is the commonly sited Thalidomide disaster in 1940s. Thalidomide was used as a drug for in pregnant females with hyperemesis gravidarum. It produced excellent results in terms of nausea and vomiting, however, it resulted in death of approximately 2,000 children and serious birth defects in more than 10,000 children including phocomelia. So the health risk assessment was not performed in this case and it had disastrous implications.