Week 5 - Social Determinants Part 1

Question 1

What is a determinant of health?

Answer 1

A factor or characteristic that brins about a change in health, either for better or worse.

Question 2

What are some factors that contribute to an individual’s social position?

Answer 2

Education
Income
Gender
Employment/Occupation
Living Conditions i.e. housing

Question 3

Define the social gradient in health

Answer 3

A term used to describe the phenomenon whereby people who are less advantaged in terms of socioeconomic position have worse health and shorter lives than those who are more advantaged

Question 4

What were the Commission on Social Determinants of Health’s three recommendations for closing the gap?

Answer 4

Improve daily living ocndions

Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources

Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action

Question 5

Define what is means by a social determinant of health

Answer 5

Conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources at global, national, and local levels. (WHO)

Question 6

List the 12 social determinants of health focused on in this unit

Answer 6

Gender
Ethnicity
Religion
Miniority
Food security
Occupation
Community Resources
Access to health services
Living conditions
Income
Social Support
Education
Germ Focalise

Question 7

List some of the economic benefits of addressing the SDoH in Australia

Answer 7

500,000 Australians could avoid chronic illness
170,000 extra Australians could enter the workforce, generating an additional 8 billion in extra earnings
Save 4 billion in welfare support payments
60,000 fewer people would be admitted to hospital, saving 2.3 billion in hospital expenditure
5.5 million fewer medicare services needed per year, saving 273 million
5.3 million fewer pharmaceutical benefit scheme scripts, saving 184.5 million a year

Question 8

Is it more beneficial to invest in long-term or short-term health-care solutions

Answer 8

Investing in short-term healthcare is initially more cost effective. However, it leads to people still experiencing a decreased standard of living.
Investing in long-term healthcare through addressing SDoH can be initially more expensive however saves unprecidented amounts of money in the long term. Also reduces the overall number of people that will experience ill health.

Question 9

Describe how gender may affect health

Answer 9

Men are more likely to work in trades. Poorer working conditions, higher rates of death.
Men are much less likely to access health-care when they are feeling unwell— toxic masculinity.
Women are more likely to be discriminated against. Decrease access to health-care, increased rates of ill health.
Women face harmful cultural/traditional/sociatal behaviours, increased rates of ill mental health, poorer health outcomes.
Women expected to have a full time job + take care of all the responsibilities at home = poorer health outcomes.

Question 10

Give an example as to how gender can affect health

Answer 10

For women in Vietnam, women who had less access to education had higher rates of infant mortality then their educated counterparts
In Cambodia, women who had to ask their partner’s permission to get a HIV test were 73% less likely to have a test.

Question 11

Describe how religion may affect health

Answer 11

Some religions restrict certain health practices, e.g. blood transfusions, organ donations etc.
Relgious discrimination leading to poorer mental and physical health outcomes.
Some religions restrict risky behaviours, e.g. alcohol consumption, can lead to better health outcomes.

Question 12

Give an example as to how religion may affect health

Answer 12

In Judaism, there are strict laws surrounding blood transfusions, organ donations, resulting in different healthcare for patients.
In Islam, it is prohibited to consume alcohol, can lead to better health outcomes for patients.

Question 13

Describe how minority group membership may affect health

Answer 13

Belonging to a minority group may lead to discrimination in the workforce=decreased income=poorer living conditions=poorer access to healthcare=poorer overall health.
Societal discrimination may lead to mental health issues

Question 14

Describe how ethnicity may affect health

Answer 14

Racial discrimination leads to discrimination in the work force=lower income=lower socioeconomic status=poorer acces to health services.
Societal discrimination = poorer mental and emotional wellbeing

Question 15

Give an example as to how minority group membership/ethnicity may affect health

Answer 15

Australia’s First Nation Peoples are more likely to experience ill health— die younger, more disabilities, lower reported quality of life.

Question 16

How might social support affect health?

Answer 16

Physical— direct aid, loans, gifts, provisions = higher mental health/wellbeing
Emotional— intimacy and attachment = better mental health/wellbeing
Informational — education/support = higher health understanding = better outcomes

Question 17

Give an example of how social support may affect health

Answer 17

Some families value education and promote healthy eating practices = better mental and physical health = better health outcomes

Question 18

How does education impact health?

Answer 18

Level of education = biggest indicator of health
Education = better job = more money = increased opportunities = greater wellbeing = better access to healthcare = higher social trust

Question 19

What is socio-economic status?

Answer 19

The amalgamation of of eduction, income, and employment

Question 20

How might employment/occupation affect health?

Answer 20

People in a higher SES are less likely to engage in risk behaviours (barr alcoholism)

Question 21

Give an example as to how employment/occupation affects health

Answer 21

Individuals in lower SES have increased rates of depression, diabetes, COPD, and disabilities