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Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention
Chronic Disease
Chronic disease is a disease that lasts 3 months or longer, cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medicine and simply does not go away. The good news is that many chronic diseases can be prevented. According to the World Health Organization, 80% of some chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
In Nova Scotia, chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability. Approximately 5800 Nova Scotians die from four types of chronic disease. cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes each year.
What causes Chronic Disease?
Chronic diseases are usually caused by more than one factor often called risk factors.
The most common risk factors are:
- unhealthy diet
- physical inactivity
- tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke
These risk factors are often due to other conditions in our lives and communities known as the Social Determinants of Health such as:
- Income & Social Status
- Education & Literacy
- Healthy Child development
- Biology & Genetics
- Employment & working conditions
- Culture
- Social Support Networks
- Physical Environments
- Personal Health Practices & Coping Skills
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