Social Determinants Of Health Case Study

Another U.S. study found that low availability of emotional support and low social participation were associated with all-cause mortality.

“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”

She is currently on staff in Springfield Green County Health Department and she services the WIC coordinator.

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

emphasis was on relationships to family, group and country rather than the development of an

Conditions of birth and people’s growth, lifestyles, occupations and age strongly influence their health. This essay focuses on children between the ages of zero to 19 and examines what the social determinants of health are. Firstly, it attempts to analyse poverty, family violence, addiction and the impacts on the health of younger New Zealanders who are exposed to those determinants. Secondly, strategies, initiatives and prevention services are identified at national, regional and local levels to investigate what the government and other non-government organisations are doing to ensure that the rights of children are being upheld. Children deserve to have the best start in life to enable healthy growth and development of their own special skills and talents. They need warm, healthy homes to live in, good nutritious food to give them energy to grow and learn, and opportunities for education, along with other activities that help them progress through life. They need the support and care of their parents, whanau and communities that have their best interests at heart.

Poverty and war are two social determinants of health that interact directly to shape an individuals life. Eldon Starlight in Richard Wagamese’s Medicine Walk can be identified as an alcoholic who struggles with mental injuries. Many social determinants of health impact Eldon’s health and quality of life, shaping who he is. As we examine the effects of poverty and war we come to understand their influences on Eldon’s life. Poverty and war can have permanently altering effects on an individual’s life.

The social determinants of health have been said to be causes of a variety of mental and physical illnesses. There are five main social determinants of health, in agreement with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and they include: "education, economic stability, health and health care, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context." These five identified factors shape and influence everyone within a community and assist with understanding health across various levels of the socioecological background.1-2

Social inequities in health result from unequal distribution of social, economic, cultural and historical determinants. It is vital to identify these factors to reduce health inequalities and to improve health status of people. This essay depicts information on two social determinants of health that affect different vulnerable groups in terms of their socioeconomic position and ethnicity.

We’ve come to an understanding that the traditional approaches to tackling health issues aren’t very effective due to the varying factors that are embedded in social and economic barriers that certain communities and populations may experience because their sex, gender, race, disabilities etc. A prevention strategy that is focused at the macro/societal level, would be through taking a social determinants of health approach to reducing health inequalities. The social determinants of health influence the health of populations and acknowledges the factors that shape health is by the living conditions they experience. These influencing factors include, income and social status; social support networks; education; employment/working conditions;

ATSI people refers to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. In terms health outcomes, ATSI people experience the largest gap in Australia. ATSI people are less likely to join the labour force (employment). With no employment ATSI people cannot earn money, therefore having a low socioeconomic status, leading no private health insurance. This is also the case why 83% of ATSI people do not have private health care.

Overall, there are twelve social determinants of health in Canada. Nonetheless, this paper will focus on the development between two of these when considered together. The two determinants of health that will be discussed in this paper are known as income and social status and education and literacy. Also, because education and literacy can be considered closely with employment, then this paper will moderately recognize a third social determinant of health, which is known as employment and working conditions. Since people are now living longer and, consequently, may also have to work longer this can create problematic issues for individuals whose health is declining.

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

A communicable disease chain is the mechanism by which an infective agent or pathogen is transmitted. The chain requires an infective agent, a source of infection, a mode of transmission and a host. An example of an infective agent could be bacteria, a virus, fungus, protozoan or helminth. The source of infective agents can be transmission from host to host, an infected human or animal, insects, soil or livestock. The mode of transmission is how the infective agent is carried from host to host. Transmission can be by air, ingestion or physical contact. To complete a life cycle or to replicate, the infective agent requires a host.

Social determinants of health such as schooling, housing, access to food and health care, exercise, and safety are all conditions that are embedded in the environment in which we grow and live. I was born and raised in a healthy and safe neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha has been ranked among one of the top cities in the nation to raise a family, according to multiple sources such as MSN Real Estate, Today Money, and Forbes. Omaha is one of fifteen cities with the greatest amount of Catholic schools per capita with great public school system to choose from as well. I have attended Catholic schools my entire life and was given multiple options for quality schooling in close proximity to my home. In addition to schooling, the low cost of