Social Determinants

Question 1

Define social determinants

Answer 1

The structures of society and the social conditions in which people grow, live, work, and age.

Question 2

Examples of social determinants of health

Answer 2

Income
Employment
Occupation
Poverty
Housing
Education
Access to resources
Demographic factors - age, gender, and ethnicity

Question 3

Give example scenarios of the social determinants influencing health

Answer 3

1. Lower social standing causes stress, leading to alcohol misuse, and a perceived loss of control over one’s life, and consequently poorer health.
2. Financial strain that results in restricted access to health care services.
3. Maternal drug use can have a marked negative effect of early brain development. This may restrict early learning experiences and further limit early cognitive development and emotional/behavioural regulation. These are likely to have consequences for health throughout life.

Question 4

Discuss the risks to Aboriginals’ social and emotional wellbeing

Answer 4

Risks faced by Aboriginal people have persisted across generations. The health and well-being of Aboriginal people has been profoundly shaped by the circumstances of the past and events/conditions since colonisation.
Resulted in:
Unresolved grief and loss
Trauma and abuse
Violence
Removal from family
Substance misuse
Family breakdown
Cultural dislocation
Racism and discrimination
Exclusion and segregation
Loss of control of life
Social disadvantage

Question 5

How does racism relate to the social determinants of health?

Answer 5

Racism is a key source of stress and socioeconomic disadvantage which has negative impacts on health, such as:
Anxiety/depression
Risk of suicide
Mental and physical ill health
Emotional and behavioural difficulties
Childhood illness
Alcohol/smoking/substance misuse
Poor oral health

Question 6

List the social determinants of health that constrain the social and emotional well-being of Aboriginal people

Answer 6

• racism and discrimination
• widespread grief and loss
• child removals and unresolved trauma
• life stress
• social exclusion
• economic and social disadvantage
• incarceration and juvenile justice supervision
• violence
• family violence
• substance use
• physical health problems

Question 7

List the factors that protect Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing

Answer 7

• connection to land, culture, spirituality, and ancestry
• kinship & community
• self-determination

Question 8

Define social determinants of health

Answer 8

Those factors that influence an individual’s health and well-being status.
The number and type of risks/protective factors faced by an individual, and their timing, intensity and duration of exposure all influence the level of wellbeing experienced at any point in time.