This essay will shed light on the definition along with explanation of the term “social determinants of health. Furthermore, it will include the grounds on to why housing, income, and environment are deemed as the social determinants of health. Last but not least, the essay will exemplify that how the housing, income and environment of a person can adversely affect their health.
Definition of ‘social determinants of health'
Social determinants of health are the economic, social, as well as environmental circumstances which effect on not only the health of individuals but also populations.
Explanation of the term ‘social determinants of health'
The social determinants of health cover the circumstances of everyday …show more content…
If the need to lessen down health inequities is to be addressed, then not only worldwide coverage of health but also social determinants of health should be considered in a systematic as well as integrated manner. World Conference on Social Determinants of Health had been conducted in October 2011 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to make corrective actions in some areas (World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, 2011). These areas include enhancement of governance for health as well as development, increased contribution in making and executing policies, reorientation of the health departments towards the progress of health and to lessen down the inequities in this sector, reinforcement of worldwide collaboration and governance and monitored advancement and enhanced accountability (Brown & Nepal, 2010).
In this regard, the World Health Organization has the verdict that this imbalanced health distribution has destructive consequences which cannot be deemed as a natural phenomenon by any mean rather, it is the outcome of a lethal arrangement of underprivileged social policies, prejudicial economic provisions and worse politics. In this condition, the healthy and well-off is becoming even healthier and richer and the one who are already poor has the possibility of becoming even less healthy and ill and becoming …show more content…
It was found that people who have less earning have great tendency to involve in very risky behaviors of health likewise taking drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking, eating unhygienic food and having less physical activity (Laverty & Callaghan, 2011). Furthermore, people who faces poverty and unemployment have great chance of heavy drinking, thus possibly leading to exploitation or they majorly depend on alcohol and other deleterious consequence for physical, mental and social health. Chronically, diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, and coronary health disease are more likely found among people of less income than high income individuals ((Laverty & Callaghan, 2011; Uphoff,