Posted: October 2nd, 2024

Determinants of Health Essay

Determinants of Health

A person’s health can be determined by a number of factors, an individual’s circumstances and environment can effecton [EF3]whether they are healthy or not. The interplay between these factors can be complex and influenced by a range of variables. These factors can include where we live, our genetics, income, education, relationships and lifestyle. The availability of healthcare services has less of an impact that many would have thought (WHO, 2014).

It is believed that although life expectancy has risen not all have the same opportunities of achieving good health, and that there are patterns to show which groups of individuals will not live in good health, that in the modern world should be easily done. This disparity in health outcomes is a concern for policymakers and healthcare professionals. It is suggested a number of variables that interact together can affect health, so an individual person cannot be blamed or credited for the state of their health (Naidoo, 2000).

Main Body: Discussion of Findings:

These factors determining a person’s health means that people living in the same community or people of the same can [EF4]have differences in the state of their health. For example, two individuals living in the same neighborhood may have different health outcomes due to differences in their lifestyle choices. Where a person lives can affect them in many ways such as is the water we drink clean and safe, is the housing overcrowded, does the area have a high crime rate and is the area able to supply a reasonable amount of jobs for the people that live there (Naidoo, 2000).

A person’s income can be a major determinant of health, income affects a person’s living standards, hygiene standards, the food they eat, the education received and the relationships we keep. Furthermore, income can also impact access to healthcare services and the ability to afford healthy behaviors. Income does not just affect one person but also their immediate family, meaning the determinant effects a group (Deaton, 2003).

Unemployment affecting their family will mean if affect’[EF5]s their children[EF6], being unemployed and possibly having to live in an area with high crime rates and low educational standards can affect children’s short term health and long term health. This can lead to a cycle of disadvantage that is difficult to break. With a lack of education a child’s knowledge of illnesses, prevention of illness and signs and symptoms of illness will be at risk (Naidoo, 2000).

A lack of employment will lead to a lack of income, which would in turn lead to a lack in quality of health. This can have long-term consequences for an individual’s physical and mental health. Unemployment has been given a large amount of media coverage since the recession began in 2008, it was at the start of the recession that unemployment began to rise, at the start of the financial crisis there was[EF7] 1.6 million unemployed in the UK, and by the end of 2009 it had reached 2.5 million (BBC, 2014).

Being unemployed can also affect a person’s self esteem leading to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and disturbance in sleep (3FC, 2010). This can further exacerbate the negative effects of unemployment on physical health. Unemployment can affect the area of residence of a person and their family as having a change in the amount of money entering the house could mean they have to move.

Research has also shown that those who are unemployed are more likely to smoke, the reason for this could be due to depression and needing a release, or could be due to the social relationships the keep and conforming to their social peers. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to support the health and wellbeing of unemployed individuals. The office for national statistics [EF8]has found those who are unemployed are almost twice as likely to smoke as employed people.

Unemployment can also cause a lot of stress and negative feelings, which may be a reason many smoke to relieve this. Chronic stress can have serious consequences for physical and mental health. These feelings can lead to psychological issues which can be fatal if treatment is not found.

A fulfilling career is vital for a well balanced life, this is explained using the dimensions of health and achieving physical, emotional, intellectual, social, sexual, spiritual and environmental wellness. This highlights the importance of considering the broader determinants of health in healthcare policy and practice. These dimensions of health all interact together and help determine a person’s quality of life and therefore their health (MDHealth, 2014).

Though this is believed to be an important factor in achieving wellness, a portion of the population is unemployed. This can have significant consequences for their health and wellbeing. Being unemployed will inevitably lead to a lack of money and in the modern world living a healthy lifestyle requires money.

Healthy food is found to be the more expensive and families with only a small amount of money are more tempted to buy the cheaper products, which are usually the more unhealthy food items. This can perpetuate health inequalities and exacerbate existing health problems. Money is also needed for some forms of exercising, buying prescriptions and medications to recover from even minor ailments; money is also needed to provide a clean living environment (Naidoo, 2000).

The UK is found to use the medical model in its approach to its healthcare. This model has been criticized for its narrow focus on physical health and neglect of the broader determinants of health. This model focuses mainly on physical health issues and does not accommodate mental or social problems.

Even though the health of the population has never been better these gains are not shared equally across society, the wealthy live longer than the poorer. This highlights the need for a more equitable approach to healthcare that addresses the root causes of health inequalities.

Conclusion:

In conclusion there are a very large number of factors that can affect and determine a person or a group of people’s health. These factors interact with each other in complex ways, making it challenging to identify a single determinant of health. As stated in the essay[EF10], the UK uses the medical model in its health care approach and although the UK has stated its want to tackle these inequalities in health there will always be a percentage of the population receiving below standard care, whether this is down to poverty, area of residence or education, there will always be an area of the UK suffering from one of these factors.

References

BBC, (2014) “Economy Tracker: Unemployment” [online] Available at: [Accessed – 14, May, 2014]

Deaton, A. (2003) “Health, Income and Inequality” [online] Available at: [Accessed – 25, April, 2014]

Gregory, A. (2014) “Last gasp: Toxic smog causes 1.6 million to suffer asthma attacks” [online] Available at: [Accessed – 14, May 2014]

MDHealth, (2014) “Dimensions of Health” [online] Available at: [Accessed -25, April, 2014]

Naidoo, J. Willis, J. (2000)”Health Promotion” (Second Edition) Harcourt Publishers Limited: London

NSO, (2013) “Unemployed people twice as likely to smoke” [online] Availble at: [Accessed – 14, May, 2014]

UOttawa, (NoYear) “Definitions of health” [online] Available at: [Accessed – 25, April, 2014]

3FC, (2014) “5 ways unemployment affects your health” [online] Available at: [Accessed- 25, April, 2014]

WHO, (2014) “The determinants of health” [online] Available at: [Accessed – 25, April, 2014]

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Tags: Determinants of Health, Health Inequalities, Healthcare Policy, Socioeconomic Factors, Unemployment