Physical Mental Health, A Social Determinants Of Health

According to The World Health Organisation (WHO) a Social Determinant of Health “Are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” Social determinates of health (The World Health Organisation, 2017). (Charted institute of Environmental Health, 2015) says that poor housing can lead to poor health and intensify existing health conditions meaning housing is a key determinant of health as it affects people from birth to older age. Throughout this essay the physical mental health needs of individuals, families and communities will be shown and how housing may affect this.
Bonnefoy et al (2004) said that housing affects health in many ways which he split down into main factors, housing standards, social environment and housing

These issues will affect an individual’s physical mental health as they cannot afford to keep their home heated during exceptionally cold winters which may lead to health issues such as hypothermia and heart disease. Living on a low income for elderly people can leave them living in poor housing such as high rise flats or isolated building estates. (Jane Nadioo and Jane Wills (2016, page 26). Living in high rise flats as an elderly person can leave them with health issues especially if the flats have no operating lifts they are forced to use stairs which in winter months especially is unpractical, elderly people living in isolated estates can have a lack of ability to self-care for themselves at home which can lead to illness and without anyone around to ensure they are okay can lead to death if they are neglecting themselves. This can affect individual’s physical mental health as they can’t afford to heat their homes and prevent damp related diseases. Poor housing can also lead to poor mental health and if they don’t receive the correct help they may also risk becoming homeless. (Mental Health Foundation

“Healthy Start is a targeted United Kingdom (UK) food subsidy programme that gives vouchers for fruit, vegetables, milk, and vitamins to low-income families” (McFadden, A. (2014) this programme can help families on low incomes to eat healthy and be able to spend their money on other necessities such as transport for children back and forward to school or simply paying for books that the children may need for school. Eating healthy is expensive so families on a low income find it hard to give their children the recommended five fruit and vegetables per day, in some cases the income is so low that they must choose between eating and heating there home but with these vouchers they can heat the house and eat meaning they are less likely to develop health conditions such as children living in poor housing who don’t receive Healthy Start and cannot afford to heat their house they have a higher chance of developing asthma, Physical health- key issues (Charted institute of Environmental Health, 2015). For pregnant women there is a need for funds to ensure they are eating healthily and enduring the correct nutrient levels this is a key way to decrease health inequalities, Healthy Start is a government funded programme which impacts upon the physical mental health of