Question 1: What are the Social Determinants of Health?
Based on the deduction of the World Health Organization (WHO), social determinants of health entail the conditions that individuals are born, live, grow, age, and work together with a vast set of systems and forces that determine their daily lives. The systems and forces include social norms, economic factors, political systems, social policies, and development agendas. The factors can influence the medical outcomes of people adversely or positively. Some of the social determinants of health include education, low incomes, insecurity, poverty, etc. (World Health Organization, par. 1). The definition depicts that health matters begin in our societies, homes, neighborhoods, and schools. The variation between the levels of social determinants of health is termed as the social gradient that illustrates that low-income households have poor medical outcomes, unlike high-income families. WHO is concerned with supporting nations to address the social determinants of health to reduce medical inequities. The Healthy People 2020 is also determined to address the essence of the social determinants by creating physical and social surroundings that can enhance the medical outcomes for all. The health equity advances involve maximizing on collaborative opportunities of all partners involved in the medical provision, establishing complementary and common objectives, and exploring the policies and practices that interfere with people’s health outcomes (World Health Organization, par. 3).
Question 2: How have the Social Determinants of Health Personally Impacted My Friends/Family?
A multitude of cultural, economic, and social factors determine people’s medical outcomes. Hence, in one community or amongst people of the same age, there could be distinct differences in the chances of obtaining good health (World Health Organization, par. 1). The factors produce vivid variations between my family and other households as well as my friends and I since we have different social statuses, incomes, education, employment, support networks, physical surroundings, social environments, health practices, genetic endowment, etc. Therefore, it is inappropriate to credit people for good medical outcomes and blame others for bad health because most individuals are unlikely to directly influence their health determinants. The social determinants of health enable me to realize the considerable disparities and gaps in the social environment that produce the variations in the health statuses of my friends and family. By doing so, it becomes easier to notice the effects that arise from the factors such as a friend who is always ill or a household that lacks food.
Question 3: How will Understanding the Social Determinants of Health Impact your Career in Healthcare?
The differences in nutrition and better medical outcomes are associated with social determinants of health. Hence, learning about the conditions assists a nutritionist to understand the distinctions and create suitable mechanisms to improve diet and medical provisions. Particular focus is to be provided to the households that do not have adequate incomes owing to their economic statuses or the political interferences that limit their development. Nutrition is linked to people’s medical outcomes since they need the right combination of fluids and foods to prevent chronic illnesses such diabetes and malnutrition (McNaughton et al, 6). A nutritionist should thus advocate for policies and interventions that are focused on using dietary measures to enhance the health outcomes in society. The initiatives should be carried out in the early stages of childhood development to prevent risk factors from being carried forward to later life. The programs can include giving food to those who cannot afford it and providing public awareness regarding the genetic or social factors associated with nutrition that can limit the medical well-being of individuals. Further analysis of the social determinants of health proves that traditional risk and genetic elements such as tobacco use, diet, and activity are not suitable predictors of whether a person can be ill or not (McNaughton et al, 27). The best indicators of the onset of adult illnesses such as strokes, heart attacks, and diabetes are the health determinants related to the social and financial conditions that control people’s medical outcomes.
Works Cited
McNaughton, Sarah A., et al. "Understanding determinants of nutrition, physical activity and quality of life among older adults: the Wellbeing, Eating and Exercise for a Long Life (WELL) study." Health and quality of life outcomes 10.1 (2012): 1.
World Health Organization. What are social determinants of health? 2016. Web. < http://www.who.int/social_determinants/sdh_definition/en/>
