The Mental, Social And Physical Health Impacts On Australians Living

The social determinants of health are the social, physical, ecological and environmental factors that affect a community in which individuals work, relax, and live and which ultimately determine the health and wellbeing of these communities (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). It is important for communities to be aware of the determinants that affect the individuals in the community in order to provide appropriate support networks and health services and resources to maintain health. The aim of this report is to outline and discuss some of the determinants affecting the Morisset-Cooranbong community in NSW, Australia. The determinants discussed are the availability of Health Services and Resources, Social Support Networks to support individuals in the community, and also some of the issues affecting the local Physical Environment.

Secondly, a Position Statement from the Australian Medical Association points out various social determinants of health [standards and influences] for all Australians. For example: A persons’ socio-economic status will invariably be a defining foundation for an individuals’ state of health and wellbeing; stress – this can invariably due to psychological and social factors, and this can be damaging to the over-all health and wellbeing of a person; early causes i.e., teratogens. The influence of environmental agents can disturb the [healthy] development of a fetus (e.g., if the zygote is exposed to a teratogen, these factors can have a long-lasting effect on the cognitive development of a child (social and emotional), their family, and the ongoing health and welfare of mother and/ or carer. Furthermore, social inclusion or exclusion; the impact from people experiencing poverty will further disadvantage them from: seeking health care and consequently individuals/ families or communities become [more] susceptible to various diseases e.g., diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease [CVD], alcohol/ drug abuse and [other] psychosocial [issues], psychopathological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance abuse, dementia and antisocial personality disorder); education – it is noted that people with lower levels of education have lower literacy skills, and this in part will also mean that a person is less likely to gain satisfactory employment, again, the

Lower health outcomes in rural and remote areas is because of several social and a variety of other factors that are detrimental to health, including a level of disadvantage related to educational and employment opportunities, income, and access to health services. There is a direct correlation between lack of education and poorer health choices and decisions this is due to the fact they do not understand the effects these bad decisions will have on their level of health. They are also at an increased risk of occupational injury e.g mining or farm related incidents. They also experience higher levels of other risk factors associated with poorer health e.g alcohol misuse and tobacco smoking. However despite these poorer outcomes a 2015 study showed that people live in rural towns enjoy greater life satisfaction than those in living Major

“Failure to acknowledge, and more importantly, to understand the role of Social determinants of Health (SDH) in health and access to health and social services will hamper any effort to improve the health of the population.” (Ompad, Galea, Caiaffa, & Vlahov, 2007). Unemployment, unsafe work environments, globalization and the inability to access health systems are some social determinants of health. Social factors would be considered place of residence, race and ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status are also part of social determinants of health. According to “Social Determinants of the Health of Urban Populations: Methodologic Considerations’ Place of residence and an individual’s status within the place are important determinants of health in urban settings. It is important to recognize that the place of residence is

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience social disadvantages which significantly impacts their physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social health. This essay analyses the impacts of the social determinants of health such as socioeconomic status, early life and psychological distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health which causes the wide gap in the social disadvantages experienced by the Indigenous community.

This paper will examine the healthcare of Indigenous Australian peoples compared to non-indigenous Australians. The life expectancy gaps between the two are a cause for alarm when statistics show Indigenous Australian peoples die on average 17 years earlier than non-indigenous Australians (Dick 2017). This paper will examine the social determinants of health to explore these factors and what interventions are in place to improve health status and life expectancy gaps for equality. The Federal Government has seen the implementation of the Northern Territory Intervention and the Closing the Gap Initiative. This essay will examine these two strategies and discuss the effectiveness of both policies. It will explain the differences, similarities and look at the success so far to

Page 3 communities today. Specifically this disadvantage is evident in many areas of community life, with Indigenous people being generally exposed to more risk factors for poor health than other Australians (Thomson, MacRae, Burns, Catto, Debuyst, Krom, Midford, Potter, Ride, Stumpers and Urquhart, 2010, para. 49). Examples of risk factors include social factors such as dispossession, dislocation and discrimination, educational factors such as poor schooling, resulting in much lower literacy and numeracy skills, economic factors such as lower income and higher unemployment, access to good quality health care and GP's, and physical environmental factors such as poor and overcrowded housing. Together these disadvantages provide for a higher likelihood of poor lifestyle choices such as alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use, a poor and unbalanced diet, obesity and a lack of regular exercise (Thomson et. al. 2010, para. 49, Couzos et. al. 2008, p. 79).

Socioeconomic factors are associated with education, employment, and income, and each, has a substantial influence on the health of Indigenous Australians. Education, which is inaccessible for many Indigenous people, allows for the greater knowledge of health issues, and the increased understanding of both protective behaviors and risk factors. It is a known fact that with a lack of education or one that is poor, there is a increased risk that there will be less employment opportunities – ultimately leading to little or no income. Hence, the vicious poverty cycle is born. Education enables

Those who live in poorer communities often suffer from greater ill health while those living in deprived areas are often without access to the best health care. This lack of prevention stems from poor education often received in those areas and the culture that often permeates within them.

Aboriginal people have the highest rates of ill health than any other group in Australia. The Australian Bureau Of Statistic (ABS) estimates that there are between 418,800 and 476,900 indigenous people in Australia (Better Health Channel: Aboriginal Health Issues ). Improving the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been a longstanding challenge for governments in Australia. Indigenous people as a whole, experience disproportionate levels of disadvantage and poorer health compared with other Australians, there is a definite relationship between social disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people and their current health status. These social disadvantages, directly related to dispossession and characterised by

Lower incomes, lower levels of education and employment, and poorer access to health services are among the social ...good health and wellbeing in rural and remote Australia determinants of poor health for people in rural and remote areas, who are also disadvantaged by a higher prevalence of common risk factors for health, such as higher rates of smoking, greater rates of disability and lower rates of physical activity.

Living remotely means that not having adequate health products, facilities and services. The lack of medical service is low due to people being reluctant (nurses and doctors) in relocating to rural or remote areas due to the distance and location. Individuals are less likely to seek medical assistance of any anomalies such as angina, moles and lumps, when the traveling times are inconsiderably extensive and the poor infrastructure of health facilities enhance the process taking far too long as well as long waiting hours. For example, women are less likely to go for breast screening for any sign of breast cancer due to the situation of health services and facilities which they deem it to be too much of an inconvenience. People living in rural or remote areas have a higher death rates due to injuries from road vehicle

Patients in rural areas have a difficult time receiving timely medical care, leading to more advanced stages of disease at diagnosis and subsequent higher medical costs. Furthermore, scholars agree that disparities in income is a major factor leading to inequality in health. In 2009, urban residents earned 2.33 times more than those in rural areas. People with low income receive

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).

The provision of health and education services is greatest in the large urban centres in Australia and least in the remote rural centres. As large businesses, including banks, rationalise many of their operations to maximise profits, they close down some of the rural outlets, which leads to a widening of the divide between rural and urban Australia.