sociocultural factors

Question 1

define sociocultural factors

Answer 1

The social and cultural conditions into which people are born, grow, live, work and age

Question 2

what are the main sociocultural factors (yr 11)

Answer 2

• ses
• access to healthcare
• social connections and exclusion
• cultural norms

Question 3

socioeconomic status

Answer 3

the social standing of an individual in comparison to others in that society. based on education income and occupation

Question 4

income

Answer 4

can influence an individuals access to:
- adequate housing
- food
- healthcare (including private health insurance)
- recreation
- transport
- education
these can influence people maintaining physical health

Question 5

occupation

Answer 5

• can involve manual labour which can increase the risk of injuries
• some are sedentary in nature which can reduce levels of physical activity and increase obesity
• manual labour jobs have higher mortality rates

Question 6

education

Answer 6

• influences health literacy
• health literacy describes the degree to which an individual can obtain, process and understand basic health information and make healthy decisions based on this

Question 7

social connections (peer group)

Answer 7

social connection relates to the bonds between an individual and their relatives, friends and acquaintances. being socially connected has been associated with lower morbidity and increased life expectancy

Question 8

social exclusion (peer group)

Answer 8

the segregation that people experience if they are not adequately participating in the society in which they live. includes those who experience feelings of disconnectedness and do not get opportunities to make use of the resources available in a society.

Question 9

cultural norms (family)

Answer 9

relates to customs ideas values and traditions of a particular society that are passed through generations. norms that impact health status include gender stereotypes, food intake, attitudes and beliefs.

Question 10

gender stereotypes

Answer 10

• behaviours that are culturally acceptable for males and females.
• starting to break down
• some cultures have distinct roles for males and females
• learned very young and shape many aspects of society
  examples:
• males working/providing
• females staying home and looking after the children
• males needing to feel ‘macho’

Question 11

dietary intake

Answer 11

• changes in traditional diet can contribute to differences in health status
• the traditional diets of aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples included low fat meats aswell as fruits and vegetables
• European settlement and the changes in dietary intake has caused high levels of obesity in the aboriginal and torres strait islander population

Question 12

attitudes

Answer 12

• towards education, employment, recreation, health and healthcare affect health status
• traditional aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples is culturally different from western medicine
• ## can reduce the access to appropriate medications.

Question 13

healthcare

Answer 13

• refers to services that promote and preserve h&w
• diagnose, treat and or manage disease and injury
• includes doctors, nurses, scientists, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, naturopaths,

Question 14

access to healthcare

Answer 14

• refers to an individuals ability to access and use healthcare and other health resources
• may be limited by cultural, financial and other sociocultural barriers.
• for example, many aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples might think it is culturally inappropriate to access western medicine.