Global Health and Health Inquiry - TCE Health Studies (Tasmania) - Level 3 pre-tertiary
“Analyse global health patterns and conduct a structured health inquiry into an issue”
Global health examines health patterns and inequities between and within countries. High income countries face mainly chronic disease, while many low income countries still carry a heavy burden of infectious disease, maternal and child illness, and undernutrition. These patterns reflect global determinants such as poverty, education, conflict and access to care. Bodies such as the World Health Organization and global goals coordinate action. A health inquiry follows clear steps: question, research, analysis, evaluation and communication.
What this dot point is asking
This dot point asks you to analyse patterns of health across the world and to plan and carry out a structured inquiry into a health issue. You need to explain why health differs between countries and to demonstrate the research skills that underpin the personal or group investigation in the course.
Patterns of global health
Health is unevenly distributed across the world. Life expectancy, child mortality and the main causes of death vary sharply between high and low income countries. Wealthier nations have largely controlled infectious disease and now face chronic conditions linked to ageing and lifestyle. Many lower income countries still face high rates of infectious disease, maternal and child mortality and undernutrition, while increasingly also developing chronic disease, a situation described as a double burden.
Global health is the study and improvement of health and health equity for all people worldwide. It looks at patterns of disease across countries, the determinants that drive them, and the cooperative action needed to address shared and transnational health problems.
Determinants of global health
The same logic of determinants applies at the global scale. Poverty limits food, clean water and care. Education, especially of women and girls, improves child survival. Conflict, displacement and weak health systems worsen outcomes. Environmental factors such as sanitation, climate and infectious disease control matter enormously. Global trade, aid and governance shape the resources available to act. Understanding these determinants explains why patterns persist and where action can help.
Global responses
Action is coordinated by international bodies. The World Health Organization sets standards, monitors disease and leads responses to emergencies. Global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals include targets for health, water, education and poverty that influence national priorities. Non government organisations and aid programs deliver services and build capacity. Evaluating these responses asks whether they reduce inequity and strengthen local systems rather than creating dependence.
Many lower income countries now face both continuing infectious disease and rising chronic disease at the same time. This double burden strains limited health systems and shapes where global action is most needed.
Conducting a health inquiry
The course requires you to investigate a health issue, so you must know the inquiry process. A structured inquiry moves through clear stages.
- Define a focused, researchable question about a specific issue and population.
- Gather information from reliable sources such as health agencies, peer reviewed material and official statistics.
- Analyse the data, identifying patterns, determinants and affected groups.
- Evaluate responses and their effectiveness against criteria such as equity and measurable change.
- Communicate findings clearly, with referencing and acknowledgement of limitations.
Judging source reliability
Strong inquiry depends on good sources. Check who produced the information, whether it is current, whether it is supported by evidence, and whether it has a bias or agenda. Official agencies and peer reviewed research are generally more reliable than opinion pieces or promotional material. Triangulating across several sources strengthens your conclusions.
Applying this in assessment
In responses and investigations, describe global patterns with data, explain them through determinants, and evaluate responses against equity. For the inquiry task, show each stage of the process, justify your sources, and acknowledge limitations. Examiners reward analysis and evaluation supported by evidence rather than unsupported general statements.
A high-tariff question or the investigation task asks you to demonstrate the inquiry process. Work through it in this order so each stage is visible and rigorous.
Define a focused, researchable question
State a precise question about a specific issue and population, for example how undernutrition affects child mortality in a named low income region, rather than a broad topic. A focused question keeps the inquiry manageable and assessable.
Gather and test sources
Collect data from reliable sources such as the World Health Organization, official statistics and peer reviewed research. For each source, ask who produced it, whether it is current, whether it is evidence based, and whether it carries bias, then triangulate across several sources.
Analyse and evaluate
Identify patterns, determinants and the groups most affected, then evaluate responses against criteria such as equity and measurable change, judging whether they strengthen local systems rather than create dependence.
Communicate with referencing and limitations
Present findings clearly with full referencing and an honest statement of limitations, for example gaps in data or the difficulty of comparing countries. Showing each stage, not just conclusions, is what the inquiry task rewards.
A common error is listing statistics about poor countries without explaining why those patterns exist. Always connect the data to the global determinants such as poverty, education, conflict and health system capacity, and discuss what effective, equitable responses would address.
Global health and the inquiry process bring the course together, asking you to apply determinants, the social model, the Ottawa Charter and social justice to real issues and to investigate them with rigour.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of TASC exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
Practice5 marksExplain what is meant by the 'double burden of disease' and describe the global determinants that help produce different patterns of health between high and low income countries.Show worked answer →
A 5 mark response needs the double burden explained and several global determinants linked to the differing patterns.
Double burden (about 2 marks). Many lower income countries face continuing infectious disease, maternal and child illness and undernutrition, while at the same time chronic disease is rising. Carrying both at once strains limited health systems.
Global determinants (about 3 marks). Poverty limits food, clean water and care. Education, especially of women and girls, improves child survival. Conflict, displacement and weak health systems worsen outcomes. Environmental factors such as sanitation and infectious disease control matter, and global trade, aid and governance shape available resources. These determinants explain why high income countries face mainly chronic disease while many low income countries carry the double burden.
Markers reward a clear explanation of the double burden and global determinants linked explicitly to the patterns of health.
Practice8 marksOutline the stages of a structured health inquiry and explain how you would judge the reliability of sources at each relevant stage.Show worked answer →
An 8 mark response needs the inquiry stages set out and reliability tests applied, not just a list.
Inquiry stages (about 4 marks). Define a focused, researchable question about a specific issue and population. Gather information from reliable sources. Analyse the data to identify patterns, determinants and affected groups. Evaluate responses against criteria such as equity and measurable change. Communicate findings with referencing and acknowledgement of limitations.
Judging reliability (about 4 marks). At the gathering and analysis stages, test each source: who produced it (official agencies and peer reviewed research are generally more reliable than opinion or promotional material), whether it is current, whether it is supported by evidence, and whether it carries bias or an agenda. Triangulate across several sources to strengthen conclusions, and note limitations honestly in the communication stage.
Markers reward the full inquiry process and reliability criteria applied at the relevant stages, not a bare list of steps.