Final answer:
In the risk factor approach, incidence and prevalence are the primary factors used to understand the distribution and determinants of health-related states. Social determinants, behavioral risk factors, medical conditions, and genetic predispositions are also considered, especially in relation to cardiovascular health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two basic types of factors typically used in the risk factor approach are incidence and prevalence. Incidence measures the number of new cases of a disease during a specific time frame, and prevalence measures both new and existing cases over time. These factors are valuable for understanding and tracking risk factors and disease outbreaks. In particular, incidence helps evaluate the potential causes of health-related events or concerns, such as the spread of a disease, while prevalence provides an overview of the overall health status of a population during a time period.
Other factors commonly considered include social determinants, such as age, income, education, and employment status. Behavioral risk factors like unhealthy diet, tobacco use, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption; and conditions such as obesity and diabetes are also influential. In the context of cardiovascular disorders, it's important to recognize that while some risk factors can be controlled with medication (e.g., hypertension, high blood triglycerides), others can be managed through healthy behaviors (e.g., combating obesity and physical inactivity), which may also help control other controlled risk factors even without medications. In addition, genetic factors and age are significant, with age being the most critical in the context of cardiovascular diseases.