Social Determinants of Health

Social Determinants of Health. Annette Murfet.

Hi my name is Annette Murfet I am from the North-West Coast of Tasmania and have moved down here to study paramedicine. I am straight out of year 12 and have always wanted to go into the health field. I think paramedicine will be a very challenging degree, but very rewarding. In this presentation I will be talking about the social determinant of health and pulling apart the different factors that are involved..

My Idea of the Social Determinants of Health. My idea of social determinants is factors such as income, family and social settings, gender, housing, environment, access to health care and facilities. These factors impact your determinants of health positively or negatively and can be influence by a range of external factors and opportunities..

Social Determinants. The world health organization (WHO) defines social determinants as ”the circumstances in which people grow, live, work, and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness.” (4) Factors include: Socioeconomic position Employment status Social support Access to health care Education Living environment Transportation.

Socioeconomic status. Wealth Buys Health. According to WHO, income is one of the most important factors of good health. (4) Wealthier people can afford a healthier diet, a higher level of physical activity, education to gain qualifications and therefore a job. In Canada, a study found that men who lived in the wealthiest 20% of neighborhoods lived 4 years longer than men who lived in the poorest 20% of neighborhoods. (5) Suicide rates were also twice as high in the lower 20% than in the higher 20% (5).

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Family Influence/ Social support. Families often shape the standard of which children grow up. “Child abuse and neglect increases the risk of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and suicide or self-inflicted injuries.”(4) Studies have found that having strong social networks can increase the ability to deal with the stresses of life including navigation through physical and mental health, emotional support, and economic deprivation. (4) People who suffer from social exclusion can be due to discrimination or stigmatism causing psychological stresses. Bad health can also lead to social Exclusion.

Gender Inequality and racial Segregation. Gender and sex are recognised as important determinants of health for both men and women Gender inequality leads to greater health risks for women and girls globally (3) Unbalanced power relationships between men and women can cause negative related health outcomes for both groups. Women and non-binary people’s health most impacted Racism, segregation and inequality contribute to poor health outcomes (1) In America it is seen that black and other minority live in poorer neighborhoods and attend lower-quality schools and receive lower quality health care. (1).

Employment/ Housing and homelessness. Employment can have lots of positive impacts on health including increasing self-esteem, giving a sense of identity, creating social interactions and personal growth. In June 2017, there were 1.4 million jobless families in Australia. (4) People with long term health conditions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and people with disabilities often are at risk of poorer housing quality Housing situations can tell a paramedic a lot of information about a situation they may have been called to..

A Program targeted at Improved social determinants.

Thankyou for listening to my presentation!.

References:. 1.Beck AF. The Colour Of Health2019 31/03/2022. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-019-0513-6. 2.Chean M. Gender as a Social Determinant of Health [Internet]. Who.int . 2011 [cited 31 March 2022]. Available from: https://www.who.int/sdhconference/resources/draft_background_paper15_cambodia.pdf 3. Gamlin J. Gender and Determinants of Health [Internet]. Ighgc.org . 2021 [cited 31 March 2022]. Available from: http://www.ighgc.org/gender-and-determinants-of-health 4. Juckes R. Social determinants of health - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [Internet]. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2022 [cited 2022 Mar 31]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/social-determinants-of-health 5. Mikkonen J, Raphael D. Social Determinants of Health [Internet]. Enfantsneocanadiens.ca . 2013 [cited 2022 Mar 31]. Available from: https://enfantsneocanadiens.ca/uploads/documents/Social_Determinants_of_Health.pdf 6. Phillips A. Health status Differentials Across Rural and Remote Australia [Internet]. Wiley online Library. 2009 [cited 2022 Mar 31]. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-1584.2008.01029.x 7. Social Determinants of Health - Healthy People 2030 | health.gov [Internet]. Health.gov . 2022 [cited 2022 Mar 31]. Available from: https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health.