Discuss how the social determinants of health have contributed to Mr. A’s heart attack
(Myocardial Infarction).
Mr. A is a 48 year old male from a Pacific Islander background. Mr. A has suffered a myocardial infarction (MI) while at home one evening and has been rushed to the hospital. Mr. A also suffers from a range of other chronic illness which are;
• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• Reflux
• Depression
• Arthritis (both knees)
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Mr. A is also morbidly obese with a BMI of 50.1, is current weight is 168kg. Mr. A works in a sedentary job (warehouse foreman) being in charge of a lot of people but not being all that active himself with very long hours. He has 2 teenage sons which are also overweight. His favorite pass time with them is online gaming. His wife who works part time at the corner store is also overweight. Due their hectic schedules with work (especially himself) he usually buys his lunch off of the food truck when it comes by during the day.
A number of factors in Mr. A upbringing related highly to his socioeconomic background have contributed to his poor health, among other factors at present time such as diet, job choice and family life with these again can be related to this upbringing And background.
The World Health Organization defines health as;
“WHO definition of Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
In 1946 the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition integrates the main concepts of health and identifies that health can be viewed differently by individuals and groups (Bowden, 2006). Health and well-being are the result of a combination of physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors (Dunkley, 2000a).
Naidoo and Wills(2001, p.47) “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ - WHO (1946).” This definition falls into a holistic way of defining health, which believes that there are more areas to look at when thinking of health than just simply the absence of a disease. It considers the cause of why someone is ill and not just simply about ’fixing it’.
The definition of health is the state of being free from illness and injury, it can also be used to explain a person’s mental or physical condition.
The overall health of the population can be due impart to the living conditions in which they experience, rather than traditional risk factors of health we first think of. The umbrella term social determinants of health (SDH) can be defined as: the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organisation, 2011)
“The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life” (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2009). The social determinants of health can be divided into 5 categories, age, sex and hereditary factors, individual lifestyle factors, social and community networks, living and working conditions and general socioeconomic, cultural and
In this assignment I hope to effectively discuss and evaluate the patterns and trends associated with health and illness within the higher and lower social classes. I am going to do this by discussing and evaluating the following explanations and perspectives within sociology; Artefact explanation, Natural or Social Selection explanation, Cultural or Behavioural explanation and Materialist or Structuralist explanation.
Income and education are closely linked with health status. The __________ the poverty rate and the __________ the education level, the better the health.
Of all social determinants of health, we can agree that the most insidious and universal might be poverty because this economic factor influence health in several ways, and it can be both physically and mentally damaging. Poverty affects every aspect of our lives; it determines the distribution of resources; the food we can afford, the access and ability to health care, the level
World Health Organisation definition of health: the World Health Organisation defines health as “not merely an absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being.” (2013 K Pritchett Class Notes)
This essay will discuss ways in which a person’s socioeconomic class and his/her social situation can have an impact on his/her health, using examples. We believe that there is a direct link between socioeconomic/social class and health (Adler et al. 1994). I will be defining the key terms: socioeconomic and health, social class then proceed to discuss about how poverty, income, employability, environment and housing can impact on a person’s social situation and their health.
The aim of this essay is to examine the influence that socio-economic status has on an individual’s health.
For example a person living in a deprived council estate, with a very low income has been proven to be more at risk of developing health issues compared to someone from a higher social class as there is a strong correlation between poverty and ill health. This has been backed up by (WHO, 1946) that state that ‘poverty creates ill-health because it forces people to live in environments that make them sick.’
“Healthy individuals cannot survive when society is sick.” On the other hand, aspects of social structure influence health and illness. Social factors not only affect life expectancy, but the possibilities the one will experience diseases and in turn, the health care that they will receive.
”Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (WHO, 1948) Wellness