Examples Of Social Determinants Of Health

Social determinants of health can be defined as the following, "the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels" (WHO.int, n.d.). An example of social determinants include living in poverty, crime, not having an proper education, lack of health insurance, and living in a community that doesn’t offer preventative health fairs.

Social determinates of health can contribute to development of an illness because of the lack of resources. Health prevention and maintenance is due to the resources a patient has around them. If there is no outreach to patients for preventative blood pressure checks, glucose checks, exercise programs, or healthy eating ideas, there can be a higher change of the development of an illness. If a patient has a lack of education in being aware of disease signs and symptoms, they can fall ill. Although it is considered environmental determinants, not having clean water or electricity can increase the chances of developing an illness.
A reservoir is how the agent (disease) normally lives; this could be in humans, animals, or in the environment. The portal of exit is how the disease leaves the host; this could be through the respiratory tract, feces, urine, or blood. Mode of transmission refers to contact, airborne, or droplet of the disease. Portal of entry could be the respiratory tract, mucus membranes, or through the skin or blood stream. For our discussion, the host is considered to be the patient. Immunosuppressed patients have a higher chance of obtaining a