Background: Living in a remote area has always been thought to have negative influences on the individual. There are 35 % of the total population in Australia living in rural area(Phillips, 2009).Rural areas in Australia and all over the world are not geographically isolated and disadvantaged only but also culturally and economically deprived which has great consequences on the health status of the population. The main two factors that have a major effect on rural health are socioeconomic status and cultural issues(Beard, Tomaska, Earnest, Summerhayes, & Morgan, 2009). People living in rural areas are experiencing highly limited excess to health care facilities either because they are not aware of the disease symptoms as a result of low education level or because the treatment is not available for them. In addition, rural population tend to smoke and drink more than others which has an extremely negative impact on their health status demonstrated by higher mortality and morbidity rates than that of the population living in the major cities (Beard et al., 2009). the mortality rate in regional areas of Australia are 1.05-1.15 times, and in remote areas 1.2-1.2 times those in major cities (Phillips, 2009). Another risk factor that has an impact on the quality of health care delivered to rural population is the lack of sufficient skilled experienced health care providers in remote and regional area of Australia. Health care professionals working in rural areas have to be well trained in emergency and trauma cases as the health care conditions presented in rural areas are different than those in the cities as a result of increased environmental hazardous and injuries(Veitch, 2009). Most health care professionals are ex... ... middle of paper ... ...les, M., & Taylor, J. (2009). Boundary crossers, communities, and health: Exploring the role of rural health professionals. Health & Place, 15(1), 284-290. 8. National Rural Health Alliance (2007). Yearbook and Annual Report 2006–2007 [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 09 from http://nrha.ruralhealth.org.au/cms/uploads/publications/nrha_yearbook_web.pdf 9. Phillips, A. (2009). Health status differentials across rural and remote Australia. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 17(1), 2-9. 10. Rural Health Workforce Australia (2009). INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA: A PROPOSAL FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 09 from http://www.rhwa.org.au/client_images/797835.pdf 11. Veitch, C. (2009). Impact of rurality on environmental determinants and hazards. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 17(1), 16-20.
Mooney, G (2003b). Inequity in Australian health care: how do we progress from here? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 267-270. viewed online 4th September, 2011.
..., J & Pedler, D n.d, ‘Extending the paramedic role in rural Australia: A story of flexibility and innovation’, Rural and Remote Health, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 6-8, doi:
Many of the inequalities in the health of the Aboriginal people can be attributed to the
Indigenous communities suffer the worst health in Australia and are most at risk to many illness’s compared to other Australian’s. “The poor health experienced by Indigenous people reflects the disadvantage they experience, as many Indigenous communities do not have access to quality health care and to clean water.” (Reconciliaction Network, p.1) The specific health concerns for Indigenous Australian’s are the higher rate of diabetes, higher mortality rate with cancers, cardiovascular disease is more common, eye conditions, higher risk of smoking which contributes to other health impacts, ear disease w...
In conclusion the colonisation of Australia and the adoption of discriminatory policies eroded Aboriginal culture and tradition affecting their sense of well-being and thus deteriorated their health. Today these policies are reflected in the social determinants of health as socio-economic disadvantages. They continue to impact contemporary Aboriginal people. In order to improve Aboriginal health outcomes; the impacts of these policies need to be overturned. This can be done by assisting them with improving their socio-economic status in the light of their needs and traditions.
Kansas is considered a rural state in the United States. Merriam-Webster (2012) defines rural theoretically as “open land” or “relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture”. The U.S. Census Bureau considers rural to be “open country and settlements with fewer than 2,500 residents” (Cromartie, 2007). Nearly 17% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, which is about 80% of all U.S. territory (Cromartie, 2009). What this means that there is more land mass compared to the people inhabiting the land; rural communities have fewer people living in larger, more remote areas. Individuals living in rural communities have different cultures and experiences than those living in urban communities, which can become problematic in regards to healthcare.
It is the 21st century: more than 85 per cent of Australians inhabit the urban areas sprawling along the coasts, and more and more rural areas struggle to survive.
Turrell, G. et al. (2006) Health inequalities in Australia: morbidity, health behaviors, risk factors and health service use. Canberra: Queensland University of Technology and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006. Retrieved on March 29th, 2011 from http://152.91.62.50/publications/phe/hiamhbrfhsu/hiamhbrfhsu-c00.pdf.
Topic 3: "Outline the social determinants of health in Australia and provide a critical analysis of these determinants. Discuss the current health status comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and interventions to remedy these inequalities.”
There are significant health disparities that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. Being an Indigenous Australian means the person is and identifies as an Indigenous Australian, acknowledges their Indigenous heritage and is accepted as such in the community they live in (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2010). Compared with Non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people die at much younger ages, have more disability and experience a reduced quality of life because of ill health. This difference in health status is why Indigenous Australians health is often described as “Third World health in a First World nation” (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, & Bailie, 2007, p.xxi). Aboriginal health care in the present and future should encompass a holistic approach which includes social, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing in order to be culturally suitable to improve Indigenous Health. There are three dimensions of health- physical, social and mental- that all interrelate to determine an individual’s overall health. If one of these dimensions is compromised, it affects how the other two dimensions function, and overall affects an individual’s health status. The social determinants of health are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age which includes education, economics, social gradient, stress, early life, social inclusion, employment, transport, food, and social supports (Gruis, 2014). The social determinants that are specifically negatively impacting on Indigenous Australians health include poverty, social class, racism, education, employment, country/land and housing (Isaacs, 2014). If these social determinants inequalities are remedied, Indigenous Australians will have the same opportunities as Non-Ind...
Poor living conditions are a major health determinant throughout the indigenous population. Most Indigenous Australians are known to live in rural parts of Australia which are commonly not close to major cities and services. People living in these areas generally have poorer health than others living in the cities and other parts of Australia. These individuals do not have as much access to health services and good quality housing. In 2006 roughly 14% of indigenous households in Australia were overcrowded unlike 5% of other households (AIHW, 2009a). Overcrowded and poor quality houses are commonly associated with poor physical and mental health between the people living in them. The indigenous are n...
Because rural environments are not as densely populated as urban ones, public services are not as readily available. This requires people to find other means of getting where they need to go and also effects the way they take care of themselves in regards to health. When asked about how she was effected by the lack of healthcare and transportation, my first interviewee stated that it is a constant struggle for her. She said that because she does not work she cannot afford a car to get around with. She said it makes things especially hard when trying to get groceries. She tries to ride to town with some of her friends whenever possible, but if she cannot find a ride she has to walk where she needs to go. She said the lack of healthcare and transportation was a big problem when her husband had a heart attack. She said they had to bring in the helicopter to get him to the hospital in time and it came with a large bill that she doesn’t know how they are going to be able to pay. The second person I interviewed said that the lack of transportation required him to buy a vehicle. He said it was expensive; however, due to where he lives he has to have a four wheel drive to get down his road. He said that he has to drive over an hour to get him and his family to regular doctor and dentist appointments. Because of the lack of access to
In the United States, more people live in urban areas than rural communities. According to the U.S. Census, nearly 80.7% of the people live in urban areas whereas only 19.3% of Americans live in rural communities. The gap between rural and urban America created a tipping point generations ago but the gap is flaring in every aspect. One of the challenges rural areas face is the scarcity of affordable health care.
Step 1: Topic 1; Significant concerns confronting Australian society are the inequities in health between socioeconomic (SES) groups which result in lower SES groups having significantly higher rates of morbidity and mortality at an earlier age. Follow table 1 to apply the SI template to analyse the construction of this problem for a disadvantaged group in Australia and reflect on the social model of health to reduce these inequities.
Since the introduction of the Ottawa Charter in 1986, health promotion across the world has taken a more preventative, or “upstream”, approach. This was done through the enlightenment of the socioenvronmental approach that focused less on lifestyle choices and immediate medical intervention, but instead the factors that directly and indirectly influenced health (Cohen, 2012). In this revolutionary charter, the socioenvironmental approach introduced key predictors to population health, which are now known as the social determinants of health (Cohen, 2012). These determinants range from income to race and gender, and encompass all of the effects that these factors have on individual and population health. Mikkonen and Raphael perfectly summarize