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Essays on the social determinants of health
Essays on the social determinants of health
Essays on the social determinants of health
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Social determinants of health are factors that help influence the health and well being of humans. Social determinants of health occur in all walks of life. Whether it is mental or physical they can be closely related to one another. The ways in which our life is path is laid out for us will determine our future. Consequently, there are many determinants of health such as Education, Unemployment and housing. The Dahglen and Whitehead's 'rainbow model’ is an excellent way to illustrate the variable potential links between an individual relationship, their environment and health. It has various layers that illustrate various factors that can have an influence on health and can later be modified. For example, the first layer illustrates personal …show more content…
To live a healthy lifestyle you need to have a nutrient diet, moderate exercise and avoid products that can lead to ill health. Being active not only improves your physical health and mental health, it reduces your chances of becoming a statistic, it is estimated that 3.2 million deaths are owing to inadequate physical activity. With nearly 2,500 people in Scotland dying prematurely each year due to lack of physical activity which is the most common risk of heart disease. Unemployed people are also more likely to take less exercise than those that are employed; this is a risk factor to obesity. This could be due to fewer affordable health facilities as gym memberships can be expensive. All things considered, not all physical activities are costly, choosing to take regular walks is another important way that people can stay fit and healthy, along with walking and cycling, these basic free activities have been proven to improve peoples' health. Studies show that on average, adults would rather spend on average 5.2 hours weekdays and 5.9 hours on weekends, watching the television, rather than going to participating in even light physical activity. Consequently, being inactive, you become vulnerable to respiratory diseases by increasing your physical activity you are promoting a healthy way of life, which ultimately has an impact on mental health, but without this many could reach out to convenience foods as a way to comfort their problems, instead of tackling them head on. (The Scottish Health
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are increasingly becoming a major problem of Public Health around the World. The impact of resources and material deprivation among people and populations has resulted in an increase in mortality rate on a planetary scale. Social determinants of health are defined as the personal, social, economic and the environmental conditions which determines the health status of an individual or population (Gardner, 2013). Today’s society is characterized by inequalities in health, education, income and many other factors which as a result is becoming a burden for Public Health around the world. Research studies have shown that the conditions in which people live and work strongly influenced their health. Individuals with high levels of education and fall within the high income bracket turn to have stable jobs, live in the best neighborhood and have access to quality health care system than individuals who have low education and fall with the low income bracket. This paper is to explain different social determinants of health and how they play ...
Wilkinson, R. M. (2003). Social determinants of health - the solid facts. [S.l.]: World Health Organization.
...an, P., Egerter, S., & Williams, D. R. (2011). The social determinants of health: coming
Wilkinson, R.G. & Marmot, M.G. 2003, Social determinants of health: the solid facts, World Health Organization.
Disparities in cancer are caused by the complex interaction of low economic status, culture, and social injustice, with poverty playing the dominant role (Freeman, 2004). So I ask the question: Does socioeconomics impact a man’s prostate health?
Wilkinson, R. G., & Marmot, M. G. (2003). Social determinants of health: The solid facts.
According to the World Health Organisation (2017) the social determinants of health are defined as the conditions where people are born, grown, work and live, which also includes the health system. The social determinants of health determined populations health’s outcomes and therefore linked with health inequalities (WHO, 2017)
Socio-economic class or socio-economic status (SES) may refer to mixture of various factors such as poverty, occupation and environment. It is a way of measuring the standard and quality of life of individuals and families in society using social and economic factors that affect health and wellbeing ( Giddens and Sutton, 2013). Cockerham (2007 p75) argues: ‘Social class or socioeconomic status (SES) is the strongest predictor of health, disease causation and longevity in medical sociology.’ Research in the 1990s, (Drever and Whitehead, 1997) found out that people in higher SES are generally healthier, and live longer than those in lower SES.
Social Determinants of health is the “conditions in which people are born, live, work and age that affect their health” Healthypeople.gov. (2017). Social Determinants of Health | Healthy People 2020. [online] Available at: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health [Accessed 22 Sep. 2017]. The determinants of health are important because it helps create policies to make changes, as well as improving public health conditions by addressing the different health outcomes an individual can face and improving the need for healthier conditions. Healthy People 2020 organizes the determinants of health in both a social and physical determinant which has an impact on health.
Social determinants of health have attracted the attention of governments, policy makers and international health organisations over the last three decades (Hankivsky & Christoffersen 2008). This is because social conditions which people are born in, live and work play an important role in their health outcomes (WHO 2015). According to Kibesh (1200) social determinants drive health disparities, disrupts the human developmental process and undermine the quality of life and opportunities for people and families (ref). Thus, several theories have been developed over the years to provide in-depth understanding of the social determinants of health and to reduce health inequalities (Hankivsky & Christoffersen, 2008). However, there is still significant
Addiction can be defined as the use of a drug or stimulus that has unreasonably taken control of a person’s behaviour. (Scollo & Winstanley 2012). It is a serious and complex issue hence the social determinants of health need to be addressed to the community and be used to guide nurses with knowledge to use in the nursing practice. Addiction to drug use has contributed to thousands of deaths, social and family disruption, violence, crime and workplace issues. In 2013, over 40% of Australians consumed alcohol, smoked tobacco or used illicit drugs at risky levels making them more likely to become addicted. (Claydon et. al 2014) The population in remote areas were found to be, twice as likely to have an addiction to tobacco, alcohol and drugs
Social determinants of health has been a large topic for many years and can have a positive and negative effect on individuals, families and communities. (World Health Organisation, 2009) The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. Social determinants have many factors and in this essay education will be the main social determinant of health discussed and how this could have an impact on the physical and mental sides of health.
Socioeconomic Disparities and health are growing at a rapid rate throughout the United States of America. To further understand the meaning of Socioeconomic Disparities, Health and Socioeconomic disparities & health, this essay will assist in providing evidence. Disparities can be defined in many ways, of which include ethnic and racial background and class types that deal with it the most. Due to the low income some individuals receive, they have less access to health care and are at risk for major health issues. Although, ethnicity and socioeconomic status should not determine the level of health care one should receive or whether not the individual receives healthcare.
(Williams and Bendelow, 1998). The social model of health looks at factors such as; the social, environmental, economic and cultural factors which are the broader influences on health instead of diseases and injuries. ‘the social model locates people in social contexts, conceptualizes the physical environment as socially organized, and understands ill health as a process of interaction between people and their environments’ (Broom, 1991, 52). Social model of health perceives health and illness in different ways other than just medical facts, by looking at the broader factors that can cause ill health or be the source of you being ill such as; being in poverty; having poor housing, job-related stress, pollution, family, employment status, working conditions, health services, housing, environmental pollution, friends, income, education, social life, national food deprived neighbourhoods as well as poor life choices, these factors can shape your physical along with your mental health and it is not just science that can shape our physical and mental
The health of an individual and their communities is affected by several elements which combine together. Whether an individual is healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and environment.1 To a greater extent, factors such as where an individual lives, their relationships with family and friends, the state of their environment, income, genetics and level of education all have significant impacts on health, however the more frequently considered factors such as access and use of health care facilities regularly have less of an impact.6 Determinants of health is a term which was introduced in the 1970s as part of a broader analysis of research and policy on public health. Researchers argued that there was a lot of attention and too much expenditure on health being dedicated to individuals and their illnesses, and little or no investment in populations and their health. It was decided that public health should be more concerned with social policies and social determinants than with health facilities and the outcomes of diseases.7 The determinants of health include social and economic environment, physical environment and an individual’s behaviour and characteristics. The environment of an individual determines their health, holding responsible an individual for having poor health or acknowledging them for good health is inappropriate. Individuals are not likely to be able to control several of the determinants of health. These determinants that make individuals healthy or not include the factors above, and numerous others.6