Social determinants of health

Question 1

1. What is health

Answer 1

• The World health organization definition can be broken into two parts
  
  • “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (live healthy)
  • “it is the extent to which an indivudual or group is able, on the one hand to realize aspirations and satisfy needs and on the other hand to change or cope with the environment (allows you to do things for yourself and others

Question 2

Is health measurable

Answer 2

No it is not

Question 3

Factors that affect health status

Answer 3

• Environment 19%
  
  • Genetics (human biology) 20%
  • Behaviours (lifestyle) 51%
    Health care system 10%

Question 4

Social determinants of health

Answer 4

• Structural
  
  • Intermediary

Question 5

What are the structural determinants of health

Answer 5

• Socioeconomic and political (government, social, policies)
  
  • Socioeconomic position (status, gender, race)

Question 6

What are intermediary determinants of health

Answer 6

• Material circumstances (physical environment, working conditions)
  
  • Behavioural and biological factors (genetics, health practices)
  • Psychosocial factors (coping skills, support networks)
    Health services

Question 7

What is social status

Answer 7

• Refers to a persons rank or social position in relation to others
  Importance in society

Question 8

What does social status determine

Answer 8

• The degree of control we have over our life circumstances
  Affects our capacity to act and make choices for ourselves

Question 9

Ethnicity

Answer 9

• Racial or ethic differences often used to create social divisions and discriminatory practices
  
  • Not biological category but rather a social category based on individual characteristics
  • There is discrimination and exclusion which results in lower health status and outcomes

Question 10

Gender

Answer 10

Refers to roles, trails, attitudes, values, power, influence, behaviours that society gives to females and males

Question 11

Examples of gender women

Answer 11

• Women live longer but suffer from more diseases
  
  • Older women are more likely to live by themselves and undergo poverty (they outlive there spouses so have less money)
  • Women are more likely to be single parent
  • Women are more likely to experience violence (misogynistic attitudes and policies)

Question 12

Examples of gender men

Answer 12

• Boys are more likely to be labelled learning disabled
  More likely to be diagnosed with ADD
  
  • Young men more likely to have more accidents
    Higher rates of successful suicide
  • Men are more likely to experience emotional problems from holding it in

Question 13

Education within health

Answer 13

• It increases opportunities for income and job security
  
  • Education also gives knowledge and skills for living
    Improves health literacy
    Get coping skills

Question 14

With higher education you are less likely to

Answer 14

• Be highly stressed
  
  • Smoke
  • Be exposed to dust, noise or hazards

Question 15

Those with higher education are more likely to

Answer 15

• Know the risks
  
  • Avoid stis
  • Exercise
  • Use safety measures
  • Breastfeed
    Have health benefits

Question 16

With higher income you can

Answer 16

• More easily have housing and nutritious food and meet basic needs
  
  • More choice
    Have control over decisions in your life

Question 17

Socioeconomic position with health (3 parts of socioeconomic position that are all associated with health)

Answer 17

Social status, education and income are all associated with a persons level of health and are related

Question 18

How do different socioeconomic positions affect exposure/ vulnerability and thus the capacity to mitigate

Answer 18

• Different socioeconomic positions are associated with different exposure to damaging conditions/ behaviours
  
  • This leads to different levels of disease and injury
  • In lower social position the capacity to minimize the effects health, social and economic effects is decreases

Question 19

Types of physical environments (lower social status is effected worse in all)

Answer 19

• Natural environment: atmospheric pollutants, climate change, resource depletion
  
  • Hazardous waste: living near industrial sights (lower class people live closer as they are cheaper
  • Human built environments: housing, workplace, community, communication/ transportation links

Question 20

How do working conditions effect health

Answer 20

• Stress, hazards, status, control, interaction with coworkers
  
  • Having a more stressful job makes you more prone to sickness
  • Voluntary work: undervalued and under appreciated
  • Unemployment: leads to poor health (low self esteem… the fear of this can also affect health)

Question 21

How do personal health practices effect health

Answer 21

• Individual decisions directly affect their health
  
  • Smoking: increased risk of lung cancer/ cardiovascular effects
  • Alcohol/ drug use: liked to dealth, injury and disability from accidents
  • Poor nutritional habits: can lead to diseases/ conditions
  • Lack of physical activity: risk of cardiovascular disease or other conditons

Question 22

The 7 parts of the alameda county study and * the ones that are still used

Answer 22

• Eat breakfast on a regular basis
  
  • No history of smoking tobacco *
  • No more then 4 alcoholic drinks in a sitting *
  • Exercise regularly *
  • Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night *
  • Do not snack between meals
  • Maintain a good height to weight ratio *

Question 23

Biology and genetics connection with health

Answer 23

• The “luck factor” (having good or bad luck based on your parents)
  
  • Some genes have the potential to cure or eliminate many diseases
  • Rarely works in isolation, rather can influence but does not guarantee good health

Question 24

How do coping skill effect health

Answer 24

• Allows for handling outside influences
  
  • Can deal in a positive or negative wear
  • The foundation for these coping skills are laid in childhood

Question 25

How do social support networks effect health

Answer 25

• Family friends and communities can creates chances for social contacts and a safe supportive environment
  
  • Social cohesion and capital: cant do it all alone so can lean on others to make it easier and better
  • Helps us to: deal with difficult situations, control stress, provide for our needs

Question 26

How does child development effect health

Answer 26

• At conception the health of the father determines quality of sperm
  
  • A healthy mother before and after conception is more likely to deliver a healthy baby
  • Poor health of the mother can produce a low birth weight baby which is more likely to die in first month, develop medical issues, have poor school performance, more substance abuse, decreased mental health and increased rates of illness
    -Poor health mothers are more likely to be found in low income families

Question 27

The poverty cycle

Answer 27

Family in poverty-> child grows up in poverty-> at a significant disadvantage in education and skills-> struggles to get a job-> fail to escape the poverty cycle

Question 28

How much do health services matter?

Answer 28

• A lot of the benefits are not because the health care implemented but rather there is a change in societal behaviours
  
  • More health care and more money does not always make things better
  • Is important but limited role
  • Can influence who regains health once they become ill but doesn’t determine who gets ill in the first place (usually)
  • Health services can also contribute to lower health through iatrogenic disease

Question 29

Is there a relationship between having access to primary care and better population health and what can health services do

Answer 29

• Yes there is a link
  
  • Can:
    Address health threatening behaviours
    Educate people about health risks/ healthy choices
    Ensure the safety of food, water and air
    Help maintain/ improve health status and independence
    Support community development