‘Map-It’ Framework in Addressing Social Determinats of Health

“Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people have a greater amount of disadvantage and significantly more health problems than the non-Aboriginal & Torres strait Islander population in Australia”

The health status of the population in the United States is a national priority. The Healthy People 2020 outlines priorities and to improve the health of individuals and communities across the country. Healthy People 2020 is defined as a comprehensive set of national objectives for “improving the health of all Americans” (Healthy People 2020, n.d, para. 1). The Healthy people 2020, is aimed at improving the health of individuals and communities and envisions “a society in which all people live long, healthy lives” (Healthy People 2020, n.d, para 4). A short priority list was developed and contains twenty-six objectives knowns as Leading Health Indicators (LHI). The list of objectives was created to prioritize health issues that must be addressed and to find appropriate actions to take in order to improve the health of the population.

Poverty level for Weber County 12.5% (Weber County, Utah, 2015) with Ogden City at 23.4% (Ogden City, Utah, 2015). According to the Weber-Morgan Health Department the top five causes of Mortality in this county are heart disease, cancer, stroke, accidents and chronic respiratory disease. Due to Weber counties documented higher than Utah states rates of obesity, drinking and smoking, which are leading contributors of heart disease, cancer and stroke deaths, Weber County’s life expectancy reflects the national average versus Utah’s rate (Weber-Morgan Health Annual report, 2010). The Weber-Morgan Health Department annotates that suicide is the leading cause of preventable diseases in Utah and Weber County with 180.7 per 1,000,000 which is higher than even the state average (Weber County, Utah, 2015). There are many concerns in Weber County, but the health concerns which are unfavorably affecting the quality of life in Weber County are obesity, adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and air quality. In 2009, 64.65% of adults in Weber and Morgan counties were considered overweight or obese (Weber-Morgan Health Department, 2014). The teen pregnancy rate in downtown Ogden has consistently ranked among the highest in the nation which brings Weber County’s rates up far above Utah’s average (Weber-Morgan

There is growing research into what has become known as the social determinants of health; the central claim arising from this research is that “various social factors have a strong influence on population health and on inequalities in health outcomes across social groups”. (Preda & Voigt, 2015) Social determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes and risks. Conditions such as social, economic, and physical in various environments and settings such as school, church, work, or neighborhood have been referred to as “place”. (HP 2020) According to Healthy People 2020 (2016) understanding the relationship between how population groups experience “place” and the impact of “place” on health is fundamental to the social determinants of health. Healthy People 2020 (2016) have developed an approach to social determinants by organizing a “place-based” framework, reflecting five key areas of social determinants of health. Each of these five determinant areas, economic stability, education, social and community context, health and healthcare, neighborhood and built environment; reflects a number of critical components that make up the underlying factors in the arena of social determinants of health. Differences in social, economic, and environmental circumstances lead to health inequalities that are socially produced and therefore

A community’s health can be established through a myriad of differing factors. Three specific factors that will help to determine the health of the county in which I live are community safety, disaster preparedness, as well as an analysis of the population. The community under review, Merced, is located in central California and made up of seventeen cities and communities whose individual populations do not exceed more than 75,000 and covers an area of approximately 1,972 square miles (United States Census Bureau, 2010) with a total population of approximately 255,793 people in 2010 (Merced County California, 2012).

These disparities are obvious in some key measures of wellbeing including life expectancy, the risk for disease, and access to health care (Disparities in Health, 2015). Historically, the major factors contributing to shorter longevity and high rates of disease are overcrowding, poor sanitation and low availability of treatment facilities. However, the change of theses socioeconomic

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2006). Community Health Profiles: South Shore Staten Island. Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/data/2006chp-504.pdf

Purpose: Link public health data at state/county levels to the Healthy People 2020 Target rates. Describe the indicator, target data and whether progress has been made towards the goal.

First, there is Jim Taylor, Hospital CEO, District 16; second, Tondra Young, Clinical Lab Supervisor, District 24; lastly, Corey Anderson, Floor Technician, District 21. The population of each district decreases in average income, education level and life expectancy than its preceding district, beginning with district 16, Jim Taylor’s district. District 16 has an average combined household income of approximately $120,000/ annually. In this district, 65% of the population has a college degree and the life expectancy in this district is 82 years. Whereas, Tondra Young’s district, district 24, has an average combined household income of $70,000/annually and 15% of the population has a college degree. The life expectancy of district 24 is 75 years, that’s 7 years less than district 16. In district 21, Corey Anderson’s district, the average combined household income is less than $50,000/ annually and only 5% of the districts population have college degrees. Consequently, the life expectancy of district 21 is 70 years, 5 years less than district 24 and 12 years less than district 16 (Adelman 2008). The results of this study are indisputable: there is an obvious correlation between social/economic status and health status. As each districts average income and education level decrease, average life expectancy coincides. This leads to the next question: why does social and economic status so greatly influence health status?

Summit County has several factors leading to poor access to comprehensive, quality health care. The poverty rate is 16%, the unemployment rate is 7.2%, and the uninsured rate is 14.1% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). There is also a high obesity rate of 28.4% . (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). According to Milio's framework for prevention (2014) the people that make up these statistics show that lower income, uninsured individuals have a poor health status compared to employed, insured individuals. Therefore, they are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. It is also interesting to mention that in Nancy Milio's research she found that most people, whether low, middle, or upper class, will choose the easiest option available the majority of the time (Nies & McEwen, 2015). People making unhealthy choices such as smoking, abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, eating poorly, and remaining physically inactive, pose the greatest risk to heart disease. These lifestyle choices lead to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol which are the main causes of cardiovascular

St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre provides programs and services for older adults from all backgrounds. Most of these clients have children living nearby or in the GTA area. The clients at SPLC are all independent and can live on their own. Some of the important determinants of health that are relevant to this client group is income and social status, social support networks, education and literacy, social and physical environments, personal health practices, coping skills, biology and genetic endowment, health services, gender, and culture. All these social determinants of health will affect each individual in a different way, so as a nursing student we have to pay attention to how one determinant of health may be a concern for one specific client.

Life expectancy, or the estimated years of life for a person or group of people, has increased over the years but it is still surprisingly lower than expected in places such as the United States. America ranks twenty-fourth on the life expectancy list under Japan, Australia, France Spain and Italy. What causes this disparity in the ranking and statistics in an advanced industrialized society such as the United States? There are major statistical factors that influence the United States ranking in world life expectancy, involving education level, poverty, race and gender. The diverse groups of people living in the United States affect the health statistics negatively, bringing in influences from education and income levels, race and

Obesity in adults has reached 22.8% and children sit at 14.8% (Glendale, Arizona, 2016). Air pollution in Glendale is rated at 234 and when compared with the U.S. average of 74, this is a very significant issue (Glendale, Arizona, 2016). The air quality affects everyone but is particularly hard on people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Illegal drug use and abuse of prescription drugs is rampant among all ages in the state with ratings higher than the national average in both (The NSDUH Report, 2012). The lack of mental health care is also a problem. Two of the larger hospitals have a small mental health facility attached. There is only one adolescent facility in the area. I work in a psych hospital in an adjoining city and we frequently have to send children and adolescents to out of state locations if they require more than short term acute

Social determinants of health are social, economic and physical factors that affect the health of individuals in any given population. There are fourteen social determinants of health but Income is perhaps the most important of these because it shapes living conditions, influences health related behaviors, and determines food security. In Canada, people with lower incomes are more susceptible to disease/ conditions, higher mortality rate, decreased life expectancy and poorer perceived health than people with high incomes. In numerous Canadian studies and reports, there has been more emphasis on health being based on an individual’s characteristics, choices and behaviours, rather than the role that income plays as a social determinant of health. Although Canada has one of the highest income economies in the world and is comprised of a free health care system, many low income families are a burden on the system because of the physical and mental health issues influenced by income insecurity. Low income individuals are heavier users of health care services because they have lower levels of health and more health problems than do people with higher incomes. This essay will address income as a social determinant of health in three key sections: what is known on the issue, why the issue is important and how can health and public policies address the issue. The main theme that runs through the essay is the income related health inequalities among low income groups compared to

In an effort to promote the health needs within a community, a successful community health nurse (CHN) must focus on the entire population. In order to accomplish this task, the CHN utilizes a scientific approach to determine the priority population focused health needs for the community. According to Nies & McEwen (2011), a population focus involving an assessment of the community is a primary tool utilized in order to develop planning, interventions, and evaluations for the community at large. The purpose of this paper is to determine a priority