Essay On Social Determinants Of Health

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The main factors that protect and promote good health are known as social determinants of health (National Health Committee, 1998). This essay discusses how the social determinants of health such as a poor social and physical environment, income, health literacy, poor access to primary health care, poor parenting, heredity affect Maori children which results in high rates of asthma (McMurray & Clendon, 2012). The essay will further discuss prostate cancer among Maori and non-Maori men in New Zealand. Maori children are more prone to asthma due to lack of education, poor parenting and poverty. Asthma is two times more common in boys than in girls (Ministry of Health [MOH], 2016a). According to MOH (2015b), “Asthma affects nearly one in five …show more content…

It is more common in men aged 65 years or older. The latest statistics shows that prostate cancer among Maori men is 414.7 per 100,000 and 328.8 per 100,000 for non-Maori population (MOH, 2015a). Heredity plays an important role in prostate cancer, if there is a family history of prostate cancer then next generation is more likely to develop it (MOH, 2016b). Low socioeconomic status also affect the social determinants of health because men with a low income often do not have a healthy diet or healthy living styles which affect their health as well as their children’s health. Health literacy plays an important role in early detection and prevention of prostate cancer. If they do not have enough knowledge and education about prostate cancer they cannot recognise early signs and symptoms. Men often feel shy to talk about prostate cancer and early screening which results in poor access to health services (McMurray & Clenton, 2012; MOH, 2016). Working conditions often affect the health, for example; exposure to chemicals or radiations may cause DNA mutations (American Cancer Society,

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