2.14 Health, lifestyle and risk factors
7 exam questions worth 16 marks. Write your answer, open the mark scheme, then give yourself the marks you earned. Your answers are saved on this device.
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What is meant by a non-communicable disease? Give one example.
Mark scheme
- a disease that cannot be passed from one person to another / not caused by a pathogen (1)
- example: heart disease / CHD / (most) cancers / type 2 diabetes (1)
Model answer
A non-communicable disease cannot be passed from person to person. Type 2 diabetes is an example.
Give two ways in which different diseases can interact.
Mark scheme
Any two from:
- immune system defects make communicable diseases more likely (1)
- viruses can trigger cancer (1)
- immune reactions can trigger allergies (1)
- physical ill health can lead to mental illness / depression (1)
Model answer
A defect in the immune system makes a person more likely to catch infectious diseases, and some viruses, such as HPV, can trigger cancer.
Name one risk factor for type 2 diabetes and one risk factor for lung cancer.
Mark scheme
- type 2 diabetes: obesity / poor diet / lack of exercise (1)
- lung cancer: smoking / carcinogens / ionising radiation (1)
Model answer
Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer.
A study found a positive correlation between the number of hours of television watched and the risk of heart disease.
Explain why this does not prove that watching television causes heart disease.
Mark scheme
- correlation does not mean cause (1)
- another factor could be involved, e.g. lack of exercise / poor diet / no mechanism shown (1)
Model answer
A correlation alone does not prove cause. People who watch a lot of television may exercise less or eat more snacks, and it could be these factors that increase the risk.
A man has a mass of 90 kg and a height of 1.80 m.
Calculate his BMI. Use BMI = mass / height2. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
Mark scheme
- 90 ÷ 1.802 / 90 ÷ 3.24 (1)
- = 27.8 (1)
Model answer
BMI = 90 ÷ 1.802 = 90 ÷ 3.24 = 27.8.
Suggest why waist:hip ratio can be a better measure of the risk of heart disease than BMI.
Mark scheme
- BMI does not distinguish between fat and muscle (1)
- waist:hip ratio shows fat stored around the abdomen which is linked to heart disease (1)
Model answer
BMI cannot tell fat from muscle, so a muscular person may have a high BMI. The waist:hip ratio shows how much fat is stored around the middle, which is more closely linked to heart disease.
Non-communicable diseases have human and financial costs.
Describe the costs at a local, national and global level.
Mark scheme
- individuals / families: illness, early death, loss of income, need for care (1)
- local: carers needed / pressure on local services (1)
- national: cost of NHS treatment / fewer people working (1)
- global: slows development of poorer countries / spread of risk factors worldwide (1)
Model answer
People with these diseases may suffer, die early and lose income, and their families may have to care for them. Locally, care services are put under pressure. Nationally, the NHS spends a lot on treatment and fewer people can work. Globally, these diseases slow the economic development of poorer countries.
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