Week 1: Introduction to the Concept of Health

Question 1

What is health?

Answer 1

• Health is subjective (different for everyone)
• it includes a person’s spirituality, beliefs, values, physical health, mental health, social health, economics
• “a broken body isn’t a broken person”

Question 2

Underlying health determinants

Answer 2

the things that have an impact on your health:

• water
• sanitization
• food/nutrition
• housing
• healthy occupation and environment conditions

Question 3

AAAQ Canada Right to Health

Answer 3

Availability (nearby, sufficient quantity)
Accessibility (no discrimination)
Acceptability (culturally appropriate, meets standards)
Quality (trained professionals)

Question 4

evolution of the definition of health

Answer 4

started all medical, now incorporates holistic health

medical model - health is the absence of disease. healthcare should focus on treatment

World Health Organization (WHO) - complete physical, mental and social wellbeing

Question 5

Rootman and O’Neil’s contribution to the definition of health

Answer 5

suggested that it should be positive, comprehensive (includes social determinants), and include mental health and spirituality

Question 6

three different approaches to health in Canada

Answer 6

biomedical, behavioural, socioeconomical

Question 7

the biomedical approach to health care

Answer 7

*dominant view for a long time

health = the absence of disease

cause = hypertension, family history, hypercholesterolemia

focus = treatment, drugs, low salt and cholesterol diet

Question 8

the behavioural model

Answer 8

Lalonde report suggested that spending more money on health care hasn’t brought significant health changes

so, suggestion to focus on an individual’s lifestyle choices

focus = health education, public policy creating a supportive environment on lifestyle choices (ex, no smoking), no smoking, individual coping strategies, etc.

Question 9

the socioenvironmental model

Answer 9

the behavioural model didn’t take in consideration the determinants that are outside of an individual’s control (ex, living conditions, working conditions, social isolation)

so, the Ottawa charter was born. it has requirements for health and has 5 elements

focus: building healthy public policy, creating a supportive environment, community strength action, developing personal issues, reorienting health services

Question 10

The Ottawa Charter

Answer 10

the health rights of Canadians

5 elements:
building healthy public policy (ex, road safety and impaired driving laws)

creating a supportive environment (ex, protection from risks and tobacco control)

strengthening community action (working together to advocate for positive changes; ex, nurses working with the community groups to advocate for safe playgrounds for kids)

developing personal issues (ex, some kids with poor hygiene need more clinics and health promotion (education for families))

reorienting health services (moving to holistic health and health promotion)

Question 11

Ottawa Charter prerequisites for health

Answer 11

peace
shelter (affordable housing)
education 
food
income 
stable ecosystem (climate change) 
sustainable resources
social justice
equity

Question 12

Health Promotion

Answer 12

empowers people to take control over their lives to improve their health

Question 13

Epp report

Answer 13

achieving health for all

• focuses on disease prevention
• coping with chronic and incurable disease
  
  • looks at social barriers

Question 14

Social determinants of health

Answer 14

the economic and social conditions that affects health at multiple levels
limits ability to achieve wellbeing

Question 15

does more money mean better healthcare?

Answer 15

as we sit, we don’t have the best healthcare. BC, Switzerland and Sweden are above us.

the cost of healthcare in Ontario has gone up to $5.3B, for each person it’s been on the rise and is at $6,600 and 11.5 cents of every dollar goes to healthcare

most money in healthcare is spent on hospitals, drugs and physicians
- physicians cost has skyrocketed

Question 16

Canada’s Social Safety Net

Answer 16

we are hiding our problems with our money

• 1 in 7 Canadians in poverty
• 19.1% children in poverty
• not enough housing (approx. 150,000 to 300,000 homeless)
• 900,000 use food banks

Question 17

equality vs equity

Answer 17

equality = sameness
equity = fairness

Question 18

Barriers to health

Answer 18

language, stigma, language, transportation, wait times, no coverage, food deserts, policies (like need id for health card), age, gender

Question 19

Primary care

Answer 19

primary care is the first point of contact/access for individuals to get healthcare

it is still primarily medical based

funding is in favour of physicians

Question 20

primary health care

Answer 20

• health promotion
• holistic
• social movement looks at social determinants

principles:
- accessible
- public participation
- health promotion
- appropriate technology
- inter-sectional cooperation

Question 21

A look at COVID so far

Answer 21

negative

• a lot of money
• further puts lower income and other people living with negative social determinants at a greater risk
• rationing of care, PPE shortages, who gets the ventilator
• backed up surgery and treatments
• individuals died because they didn’t receive treatment for a non-covid disease (there is so much focus on covid that there isn’t the resources to be able to handle other dangerous diseases and conditions)

positive

• spotlight on care in long term care homes (ability to change what has been wrong and shoved under the curtain)
• virtual care
• increase inter-professional teamwork

Question 22

a look at nursing and roles of nurses in terms of social determinants and the view of health

Answer 22

• remove social barriers

- advocate for change