...Population health is based on the interrelationships that exist between factors that include policy making, social factors, health services, individual behaviour, and biology and genetics. Interventions made on these factors determine the state of health condition. Federal, State, and local policies affect population health either positively or negatively. Tightening policies on the consumption of certain products like tobacco exert a positive impact on health by reducing the level of consumption of such products. Social factors such as a place of birth, work, play, and age determine an individual’s health status. A good distribution of such factors positively determines population health. Access to and quality of health services determines population health. Sufficient access and standardised quality health services exert a positive impact on population health and the reverse is the case (“Determinants of Health,” 2012). Individual behaviour determines population health. Drug and substance abuse, and poor eating habits results to poor heath condition whereas positive changes in individual behaviour positively determine health status (Truman, et al, 2011, p. 1). Biology and genetics determine population health, whereby aged individuals are prone to poor health as opposed to young population. Additionally, poor genes carried by parents are transferred to children resulting to poor health (“Determinants of Health,” 2012). America is one of the countries in which healthcare costs...
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...as education, income, and health, I will use, The Social Determinants of Health Model, to guide my future practice. According to, The WHO, “The social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness. These circumstances are in turn shaped by a wider set of forces: economics, social policies, and politics” ("Social determinants of," 2013). In other words, in order to promote, maintain, or return a person to health, it is imperative to understand the circumstances of that person’s social and physical environment currently and historically. In addition, it is important to consider barriers to health imposed by community economics, worldview, and social policies in place. With these concepts in mind, I can individualize a care plan in partnership with the patient. By understanding the prevailing attitudes, social policies, and economics specific to the location of my future practice, I can also address conditions that create health disparities. For example, I might observe that I am seeing a large percentage of patients that smoke, or are obese, or have diabetes. To address these unhealthy habits on an individual basis, I will understand that people cannot be treated without understanding their personal and community environment. My goal in practice will be promoting optimum health in the individual, while understanding that eliminating barriers to health in the community is the key...
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...look at how and why researchers may link medical information with other non-medical information, for example, where people live, their income and their education. An understanding of how these factors affect an individual’s health can help us to look beyond the healthcare system for ways to improve the health of New Zealanders. These factors are called the social determinants of health. This essay will take a closer look at some of these social determinants and how they can influence people’s health and well-being. It will also discuss research articles that provide examples of influences of social determinants of health relating to adults. Paragraph 2: SDH approach. Your discussion...
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...of Health and Safety at Work Act 1999 – this item of legislation Places an responsibility on any employer to vigorously carry out a risk assessment of the work place and act accordingly. The assessment must be reviewed when necessary and recorded. It is intended to identify health and safety and fire risks, and is then worked on to make the environment a more safer place. Legislation, regulations and guidance that govern infection prevention and control: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 - This Act provides a framework which ensures the health and safety of all employees in any work activity. It also provides for the health and safety of anyone who may be affected by work activities, for example; pupils/students and visitors to educational sites. The Public Health Act 1984 – this act is used in order to ensure consumers know what they are eating, they know that the food is appropriate and good to use/eat, and so that they know the food is safe and has been prepared in a healthy and hygienic way.The main responsibilities for all food businesses under the Act are: do not include anything in food, remove anything from food or treat food in any way which means it would be damaging to the health of persons eating it to ensure that the food you serve or sell is of the nature, substance or quality which consumers would expect to ensure that the food is labelled, advertised and presented in a way that is not false or misleading a recent misuse of this... The public health act...
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...vital to “social and economic development and has a deep impact on people’s health and “the health benefits of education accrue at the individual level” (AHRQ, 2015, para.1). An individual action that occurs throughout their life impact their health and healthcare finances. Factors such as tobacco use, alcohol use, obesity and poor diet habits are just a few. These lifestyle behaviors contribute to the rising healthcare cost for an individual who is insured and for the...
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...the ways that health can be conceptualized by a society. What are the determinants of health in humans? What is the connection between how a society defines health and how it pursues health? Has increased access to technology changed that perception over the last decade? Discuss the connection between health policies, health determinants, and health. Abstract Health policies, health determinants and health are all categories that are intertwined with one another. As technology becomes more advanced within the health industry, society’s perception on healthcare may change for the better or for the worst. And with the new technology, new policies arise. Deliberate the ways that health can be conceptualized by a society. The World Health Organization makes a concept of health in a way that a patient should be cared for in all aspects of their well-being. This not only includes the physical concepts but also the social and psychological components of their health. What this means is that society should not only conceptualize health but also pursue health in all of the areas mentioned. There are many influences to our health whether it is our beliefs, the economy, social and cultural way of living, physical environment and the circumstances that we are dealt with. With that being said, health is the basic and dynamic force that affects the way we live our life. An example of factors that impact health positivity is:...
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...The social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness. These circumstances are in turn shaped by a wider set of forces: economics, social policies, and politics. (CDC). usually it is know that, the better the economic status of an individual, the better the individual’s health. Health status improves at each step up the income and social hierarchy. High income determines living conditions such as safe housing and ability to buy sufficient good food. The healthiest populations are those in societies which are prosperous and have an equitable distribution of wealth. Communicable disease chain involves agent host and the environment through which people get infected with diseases. The CDC explain the chain as: “More specifically, transmission occurs when the agent leaves its reservoir or host through a portal of exit, is conveyed by some mode of transmission, and enters through an appropriate portal of entry to infect a susceptible host.” This sequence constitutes the chain of infection (CDC). Nurses can work diligently to break any of this chain by health education and promotion. Nurses may also take steps like; isolate, quarantine and do prompt referral for adequate treatment. Example is isolating an individual with tuberculosis at the time the disease is communicable. The nurse can also quarantine or restrict movement of an individuals who have been exposed to the communicable...
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...Introduction What is health? Health means different things to different people. The World Health Organization (2015) defines health as “a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (as in the 1947 WHO definition). Studies show that older adults feel healthy when they are able to accomplish something independently, are able to manage their symptoms, accept and adjust with optimism, connect with others, and have satisfying energy levels (Misoon & Eun-Hi, 2015). Furthermore, Main factors that contribute to the health of Canadians are not medical treatments received or lifestyle choices, but instead the living conditions they experience; these are identified as the Social Determinants...
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...The main sources that lead to these health inequalities can be explained by factors in the social environment, which can initiate and sustain racial and class health disparities. These social conditions that encompass low occupation status, poor neighborhood residential conditions, and poor access and quality to health care are all important determinants of the health inequalities faced by certain racial and class groups, which often intertwine and serve as a proxy for one another (Halfmann, Lecture Notes; Kawachi 2005; Williams 2005). With this said, having a low occupation status can cause certain races and classes to have health inequalities. For example, people with a higher socioeconomic status have better jobs and, as a result, have...
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...of the social determinants of health on accessibility to health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. INTRODUCTION 150 words Nurses have an extensive role in caring for the health and wellbeing of people and ensuring they have accessibility to health care. This paper will explore and provide evidence into how the social determinants of health, especially racism or racial discrimination impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders or Indigenous Australian people’s access to health care. Exploring the impact of social determinants of health on Indigenous Australians and the numerous poorer health outcomes experienced by this population group will...
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...in the Aboriginal population is one type of health model that may applied in Canada. Considering the social determinants related to housing, health literacy, employment, education, socioeconomic, cultural, and social contexts are factors involved in establishing HPP (Naidoo & Wills, 2009). Integrated policy-making involving multiple levels in society as illustrated in the Dahlgren and Whitehead ”Rainbow Model of Determinants”, in addition to different levels of government (municipal, provincial, territorial and federal) need to collaborate when building HPP (World Health Organization, 2015). A targeted diabetes prevention plan encompassing health promotion, disease prevention aiming to reduce the inequalities in the social determinants of health is essential to decrease the prevalence of type II diabetes in Canada....
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...Working Conditions as a Determinant of Health This summary is primarily based on papers and presentations by Andrew Jackson, Senior Economist, Canadian Labour Congress, and Michael Polanyi Assistant Professor, Saskatchewan Population Health Research and Evaluation Unit, and Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina. The presentations were prepared for The Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span Conference, held in Toronto in November 2002. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Health Canada. Current Situation Over the 1980s and 1990s, there has been an ongoing restructuring of the labour market and of employment relationships. The intent of these changes has been to promote productivity and competitiveness, as opposed to promoting a worker-centred agenda of “good jobs” (Lowe, 2000). In Canada, only two-thirds of the employed workforce are in “standard” salaried jobs with no defined end date (mostly provided by large firms and the public sector). In this shrinking core job market, workers who have survived layoffs, privatization and contracting-out are generally working longer and harder. Employers have tried to increase profitability and competitiveness and to contain budgets by boosting productivity. This has been accomplished largely by increasing workloads. For example, in the health sector, fewer nurses, social workers and other health professionals must now deal...
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...Health Policy Determinant Timeline Kwabena Aboagye HCS/550 June 02, 2014 John Dean Health Policy Determinant Timeline In 1950, most American receives their health coverage through the private insurance market, usually through their jobs. Many people buy insurance on their own in the individual market. Since coverage from private companies is the largest surge of insurance for Americans it is likely to be a central part of federal and state health reform efforts. Private health coverage is a mechanism for people to protect themselves from the potentially extreme financial costs of medical care if they become severely ill, and ensure that they have access to health care when they need it. Private health coverage products pool the risk of high health care costs across a large number of people, permitting them (or employers on their behalf) to pay a premium based on the average cost of medical care for the group of people. This risk-spreading function helps make the cost of health care reasonably affordable for most people. Medicare and Medicaid were previously known as Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). In 1965, the Social Security Act establishing both Medicare and Medicaid. The Social Security Administration (SSA) became responsible for the administration of Medicare and Social and Rehabilitation Service become responsible for the administration of Medicaid. In 1970, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) are one of three types of major...
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...Jose, Great take-away from the article, I agree with you that clinicians such as nurse practitioners can make a difference in improving the healthcare of Americans relative to social determinants. As DNP students we are preparing in the completion of our projects to take on some form of an advocacy role to influence a change in laws, policies or regulations that govern the healthcare system at the local or possibly national level. I think also that the main message that the article The Role of Social Determinants in Health Equity by Jim Anderson (2013) was to help healthcare personnel to realize their importance to improve health outcomes by becoming politically involved in their communities. I like a point you brought up that healthcare personnel...
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...The article’s main claim is that social determinants of health (such as income and gender inequality) should be considered in Canadian health policy because they shape a person`s life and link “government policy, the market and the health and well-being of citizens” (Raphael, 2008, p. 232). As such, Raphael cites three barriers that impede the recognition of social determinants in Canadian policy. They are: 1. The dominant biomedical ideology of positivist science based on the empirical evidence, sees health and illness as individual pathology, taken out of social and environmental determinants shaping health (Raphael, 2008, p. 224). 2. The public ideology of individualism isolates health issues as personal responsibilities as opposed...
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