What Are the Social Determinants of Health

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

1. Understanding epidemiologic concepts of the chain of transmission of organisms from host to victim, describe how EH could have been infected.

“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”

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.

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

Mental health outcomes vary differently by socioeconomic location for women and men. It is important to critically analyze the various social locations that low-income women living with mental health concerns are currently occupying. These women are occupying these social locations because of the structural inequities that they encounter in relation to their experiences with the social determinants of health. Explanatory frameworks are used to illustrate the relationship between the social determinants of health and health outcomes. Specifically, the focus of this inquiry is to show how the psychosocial and intersectionality explanatory approaches can be of assistance in the understanding of the relationship between class, gender, and mental health outcomes. First, I will give an exposition defining mental health outcomes as consequences of class and gender by using the context of low-income women living with mental health concerns and the relationship between the social determinants of health. I will then outline both the psychosocial and intersectionality explanatory approaches core tenets, strengths, and challenges of each. Second, I will then present and conduct a comparative analysis in which I will evaluate each explanatory approach based on the following two criteria: 1) how each explore the individual experiences and social structural experiences of low-income women with mental health concerns (class, gender, and mental health concern) 2) What kinds of information do

As we have coming to realize over the years, the Aboriginal people of our nation are one of the more inferior race and they continue to be today. Through analyzing the historical political impact on their health by also taking into account the social determinates of health. To do this, by discussing bills that have been passed by the Canadian government such as the Indian Act and the residential school system. Then looking at the effects it had then and still to today on their mental, physical and spiritual health then linking those factors to their social determinants of health.

Epidemiology is the study of distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations and the application of this study to the control of health problems. The epidemiological triad model holds that infectious diseases result from the interaction of agent, host, and environment (CDC, 2012). Disease transmission occurs when the agent leaves the reservoir or host through a portal of exit, are the conveyed by some mode of transmission and enters through and appropriate portal of entry on infecting a susceptible host (CDC, 2012). This sequence is sometimes called the chain of

higher of survival rate than those born to women with no education at all (Sally Murray, 2006). Also, Canadians in the lowest income groups are 50 per cent less likely than those in the highest income group to see a medical specialist, and 40 per cent more likely to wait more than five days for a doctor's appointment. Individuals who live in low-income situations are also twice as likely as those in the highest income group to visit the emergency department for treatment. Researchers have reported that Canadians in the lowest income groups are three times less likely to fill prescriptions and 60 per cent less able to get needed tests because of costs (Carolyn Shimmin, 2015). Education is also an important social determinant of health. People

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

The higher the socioeconomic status an individual is equivalent to the goal of reaching the goal of excellent health, whereas, those who are at the bottom of the socioeconomic status ladder are more likely to have poorer health. The article on Social Determinants of Health status states that “socioeconomic status has been a fundamental cause of disease, and poverty and therefore, has a powerful effect on health.” People who cannot afford nutritious food are more than likely to buy more processed or cheap junk food.  An excerpt of an autobiography Hillbilly Elegy explains this predicament as the author watched people buy groceries as a cashier, “Some folks purchased a lot of canned and frozen food, while others consistently arrived at the checkout

The fifth program of the video series “Rx for Survival,” was titled “Back to the Basics”. It primarily concerned itself with public health issues stemming from a lack of very fundamental necessities in some underdeveloped countries, such as elementary food nutrients and clean potable water; then contrasted this with health problems resulting from overindulging in the plentiful fare many developed countries possess (Rx for Survival, 2005). After viewing the video, it became apparent there were a large number of aspects important to epidemiology that could be addressed from the presented material. A few of these will be elaborated upon here.

Internationally, there are consistently mass spreadings of diseases especially in indigent countries. Just in the previous year there has been an outbreak of ebola and without these diseases being controlled, they will continue to spread and terminate mass hoards of people. In the past, quarantines were issued, sanitation was enforced, and health regulations were established. In the face of the black plague during the 14th century, the quarantine was ineffective due to the lack of control and coordination of the disease. Yet, when there was an outbreak of the disease in Indiana in 1994, it was able to be controlled within 2 months. In regards to sanitation, the need for safe water and hygiene is still a major problem. Many diseases are the source of dirty drinking water and poor sanitation. Organizations, such as the International Health Regulations and World Health Organization, were set up to take measures towards controlling these

The knowledge I acquired through the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s undergraduate Public Health degree has prepared me to become an ideal candidate for the position of Director of the World Health Organization. To most people, “health” is often synonymous with individual care, such as doctors and nurses. However, the socioecological model states that health is a product of various components. Many forget that public policy, communities, organizations, economics, and our environment has an impact on our health. By focusing on these aspects in conjunction with individual health, we can create programs and initiatives that better serve the needs of our populations. Therefore, I believe as the Director of the World Health Organization, I can exceed these responsibilities due to my public health background.

Before we can begin to explore solutions to control the spread of infectious disease, we must consider what it is that actually contributes to its spread. The four most important concerns in recent years have been HIVAIDS, Tuberculosis, Cholera, and Malaria. The first two diseases are a cause of global concern due to its widespread exposure. The latter are a resulting problem of underdeveloped and poorer nations, which directly implies that globalization can actually help reduce these infections.