Health" (PDF). World. Health. Organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization Retrieved 2013-06-20. Brennan, R.L.K., Baker, E.A. and ...
2013 Social factors that determine health
Written by Flourish Itulua-Abumere Available on: www.flourishabumere.com
Social factors that determine health What are social determinants of health? The social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are created by the circulation of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The social determinants of health are mostly to blame for health inequities, the inequitable and preventable differences in health status seen within and between countries (WHO, 2013). We can also refer to social determinants of health as risk factors found in one's living and working circumstances such as the allocation of revenue, capital, influence, and power. Social determinants are formed by public policies that determine the power of main political ideologies of those leading a jurisdiction (Juha & Dennis, 2010).
The World Health Organization says that “This unequal distribution of health-damaging experiences is not in any sense a ‘natural’ phenomenon but is the result of a toxic combination of poor social policies, unfair economic arrangements where the already well-off and healthy become even richer and the poor who are already more likely to be ill become even poorer, and bad politics” (Commission of Social Determinant of Health, 2008)
Since there is no specific meaning of social determinant of health, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003 Europe recommended that the social determinants of health should include: life expectancy, social class, general stress and stress in workplace, early childhood development, social segregation, joblessness and redundancies, social support networks, drug obsession, access to health food, healthy, accessible and affordable transportation (Wilkins & Marmot, 2003)
The World Health Organization in 2008 developed a Commission on Social Determinants of Health, which was published as a report entitled "Closing the Gap in a Generation" (Commission of Social Determinant of Health, 2008). This report acknowledged two wide divisions of social determinants of health that needed to be tackled. The first part was daily living conditions which comprises of physical environments, fair employment and hazard free job, social security across the lifespan and availability of health care. The second major part of the divisions was allocation of power, money, and resources, including fairness in health programs, public funding of action on the social determinants, economic inequalities, capital reduction, healthy working conditions, gender equal opportunity, political
Social factors that determine health empowerment, and a stability of power and prosperity of nations (Commission of Social Determinant of Health, 2008).
As serious as the case of social determinant of health is to society and leaders, another World Conference on Social Determinants of Health was heard in 2011 which brought together 125 member states and resulted in the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health. This pronouncement was concerned with the affirmation of health inequities and it was deemed unacceptable, and noted that these inequities arise from the societal conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, including early childhood development, education, economic class, employment and decent work, housing environment, and effective prevention and treatment of health problems (World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, 2011).
The United States Centres for Disease Control describe social determinants of health as "lifeenhancing possessions, such as adequate food provision and distribution, accommodation, economic and social associations, transportation, education, and health care, whose circulation across populations effectively determines length and quality of life” (Brennan et al, 2008). These include access to care and resources such as food, insurance coverage, income, shelter and transportation. Social determinants of health influences promoting healthy behaviour and health impartiality among the general public. This will not be possible without equitable distribution of social determinants among people in society (Brennan et al, 2008).
In a study conducted by Marmot and Bell (2009) they found out that in wealthy countries, income and mortality are simultaneous as an indicator of relative position within society, and this relative position is related to social conditions that are important for health including good early childhood development, access to good quality education, gratifying work with some degree of independence, decent accommodation, and a hygienic and secure living environment.
The social condition of independent control, and empowerment turns are significant influence on health and disease, and persons who lack social involvement and organization over their lives are at a greater risk for heart disease and mental illness (Marmot & Bell, 2009)
Social factors that determine health References World Health Organization (2013): Social determinants of health. http://www.who.int/social_determinants/sdh_definition/en/index.html retrieved 2013-06-19 Juha, I. and Dennis, R. (2010): The Canadian Facts: Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. May 2010. ISBN 978-0-9683484-1-3 – 62 pp. Toronto: York University School of Health Policy and Management. Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008): “Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity Through Action on the Social Determinants of Health”. World Health Organization. Retrieved 19/06/2013 Wilkins, R. and Marmot , M. (ed) (2003). "The Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts, 2nd ed" World Health Organization Europe. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/98438/e81384.pdf Retrieved 2013-0619. World Conference on Social Determinants of Health (2011): "Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health" (PDF). World Health Organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization Retrieved 2013-06-20. Brennan, R.L.K., Baker, E.A. and Metzler, M. (2008): "Promoting Health Equity: A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health" (PDF). United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention Retrieved 2013-06-19. Marmot, M.G., and Ruth, B. (2009): "Action on Health Disparities in the United States: Commission on Social Determinants of Health." JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 301.11 (2009): 1169-171. 19
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