Social Determinants of Health
What factors determine one’s health? I am beginning to collect and gather my thoughts around the social determinants of health (SDOH) from all of the articles and resources that I have discovered and read. The information describes what factors contribute to the health of a population (or individuals), who is responsible for identifying these factors, and what is the best way to measure population health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the social determinants of health as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” (WHO, 2019). In regards to growing up, many articles talk about the importance of positive childhood development. Learning healthy behaviours such as having a good diet and getting the right amount of exercise, and developing coping skills early will assist with the achievement of a healthy state.
Social and economic factors have also greatly influenced the health of both children and adults. Many health care providers and institutions have recognized how important it is to screen for the determinants of heath, sadly, not all are following through (Theiss & Regenstein, 2017). Performing a blood test on a patient can only tell you so much, but by identifying as many factors of their lives as possible, it could enable health care professionals to treat the “whole” patient. A great example would be identifying a traumatic event that an adult had experienced in their teens, which may explain certain detrimental behaviours, or other negative effects on their health and coping skills.
Many societies are trying to better incorporate the SDOH. Another article stated that “all of the Canadian provinces have set health goals that encompass the varied determinants of health” which include “improvements in working and living conditions, health behaviours, early child development, access to effective health care services, and aboriginal health” (Glouberman & Millar, 2003, 390).
From my research, I have discovered many influential factors on individual and population health, and I look forward to discovering more. I hope to learn more about developments and the positive or negative influences in different societies.
Glouberman, S., & Millar, J. (2003). Evolution of the determinants of health, health policy, and health information systems in Canada. American Journal of Public Health (93)3, 388-392. doi:10.2105/AJPH.93.3.388
Theiss, J., & Regenstein, M. (2017). Facing the Need: Screening Practices for the Social Determinants of Health. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 45(3), 431–441. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.1177/1073110517737543
World Health Organization (2019). Social determinants of health: About social determinants of health. Retrieved Feb 20, 2019 from https://www.who.int/social_determinants/sdh_definition/en/
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