Social Determinants Of Health Inequalities

The term social determinants of health, can be defined as a ‘set of conditions in which people are born, grow up, live and work.’ These conditions include housing, education, financial security and the environment along with the healthcare service. (http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/438838/01.12_Health_inequalities_and_the_social_determinants_of_health.pdf) These factors are affected by the amount of money, power and resources that are available at a global, national and local level. Social determinants of health are linked to health inequalities according to the World Health Organisation, health inequalities are ‘the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.’

Health disparities are the different kinds of illness that occur among different population groups. Over the years, technology has advanced as well as education but they have only helped out certain groups dealing with health disparities as there still are problems involving health disparities. One reason health disparities still exist is due to race and ethnicity. Depending on your racial and ethnical background plays a huge factor in health disparities.

There is a general consensus that heath inequalities are caused in two ways: first, by biological and genetic differences, which cannot be changed; and second, by social and economic differences, which can be changed. It is the latter – social and economic differences – that are of concern in this TMA. The social and economic differences that exist between different populations in society, and across the world for that matter, are known as the social and economic determinants of health (hereafter determinants). These determinants – which include gender, ethnicity, education level, housing, occupation/employment, income, the family and/or community, and place of residence – can have a strong impact on a person’s social position. Those in a higher

“What actions will you take to evolve the sectors of technology and science once you graduate?” Improvement in the subject of technology and science has advanced the lives of people than ever before. The area of technology and science positively affects people’s way of living on one hand and it negatively affects people’s health on the other hand. Per the CDC Health Disparities & Inequalities Report – United States, 2013, Vol.62, Supplement No. 3, pages 1-187, published in Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Supplement on November 22, 2013: • Non- Asian racial/ ethnic minorities continue to experience higher rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses than whites.

Sociologist David Williams states that all policies impact health policy. This is exemplified across a wide rage of policies in the US. These policies are flawed and corrupt, polarizing the nation racially and by socioeconomic status (SES) and resulting in great disparities in health. Although policy and law has evolved, presenting a more progressive and “color-blind” front, it remains an obstacle to ending disparities in health. Many of these policies, such as housing, environmental, and labor, are interconnected and have many aspects to them that affect health policy.

With the ongoing changes on policies in healthcare, it is imperative to consider the legal and ethical issues in health disparities and access to care based on the socioeconomic status. Research have shown over the past 25 years that disparities in the quality of care are highly influenced by individual characteristics such as race, gender, ethnicity, education, income, and age. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recognized that providing care is not simply a “one size fits all” approach especially with the diverse population in today’s society. As healthcare professionals, we need to be alert and know how to properly intervene with such disparities so that the care provided is tailored to the individual.

The social determinants of health impact both chronic physical conditions and mental health. Key aspects of prevention include increasing physical activity, access to nutritious foods, ensuring adequate income and fostering social inclusion and social support. This creates opportunities to enhance protective factors and reduce risk factors related to aspects of mental and physical

This webinar is a presentation on the race associated differences in health, how they come to be, and some flaws inherent in the available initiatives to address these issues. First to speak was Kumanyika (2015) who utilized health outcomes parameters such as excess deaths, Life Expectancy at birth, Low birth weight, Infant mortality and Years of potential life lost before 75years, in order to illustrate the overall improvement in the health outcomes of the general populace between 1985 till 20012. However quite glaring in these data is the persistent racial disparity in health existing with the minorities having health outcomes that are worse than the white population. Shamika attributed this trends to the inadequacy in the initiates that

Before we look at the different Social/Psychological Determinants of Health it is important firstly to define what a social determinant of health is. According to the World Health Organization (2017) “The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.” These conditions are as a result of a wide range of factors that are ultimately governed by the way in which money, power and specific resources are shared at different levels including those at global, national and local levels. We have all been a part of and will experience different social determinants of health throughout our lives but it is the standard at which we experience these determinants that will ultimately lead onto them affecting our health or ultimately leaving us unaffected. The Social Determinants of Health which I am going to examine include • Education • Unemployment • Stress • Living Conditions • Cultural Norms.

Integrated healthcare is key to eliminating mental and physical health disparities by addressing the needs of people based on their differences in their race, socio-economic status, and culture. An integrated healthcare organization is competent of responding to a community with challenges of long standing health disparities. Healthcare professionals in an integrated system are cross-trained in both physical and behavioral health to handle the challenges of mental and physical health disparities. It improves the quality of care of the population by lowering costs, enhancing patient access, and improving the life of both individuals and families. The con of addressing the long standing health disparity is managing the care of patients and

Disparities are all around us and can account for inequality that is seen among different race, in education, business, politics and even healthcare. Inequality can affect all aspects of a person’s life. In the United States it is unfortunate that every citizen is not privy to the same quality of healthcare. This is one of the major challenges and growing issues for the United States healthcare system. The gap in care is derived from racial, ethnic, gender differences in populations.

INTRODUCTION Health is the foremost need of every human being and there are various factors influencing it. Social determinants of health are the emerging topic in present scenario where they have to be considered to ensure good health to everyone. This essay shall focus on this aspect with a detailed description of SDOH in the first section followed by the reasons that exist behind considering income, housing and environment as the major factors. The last section shall deal with real time examples on such factors and their impacts on health conditions. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH)