Mahatma Gandhi once said that ‘ It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. Determinants of health simply refer to a span of elements that affect the health condition of a person. It is vital to understand that a handful of determinants can be regulated, while others are strenuous to govern. It is helpful to focus on the effects of social, environmental, economic, and cultural essentials on an individual’s health, while also elaborating how they can be related to ameliorating society healthcare.
Firstly, the common determinants of health encompass the social and economic aspects which closely correlate. The social determinants of health are the non-medical facets that condition health consequences. These are the circumstances in which persons are born, grow, reside, labor, and mature. They entail constituents such as socioeconomic standing, schooling, locality and physical territory, employment, and health care availability. They affect the health of people in various ways. The residence of a person determines their access to health care, for instance, people may inhabit a distant area from a healthcare clinic to access the standard of care they need. Accessibility of healthcare can be upgraded by clinics providing rural engagements, reducing the wait duration in crisis departments, and escalating society services that concern health screenings. Economic stability is crucial as it enables people to pay for standard medical care for good health. People with secure jobs can deal with appalling states and predicaments. As indicated by Chetty et.al ( pg.1750,2016), persons living in nations with more income experience a life expectancy that is 19 years above those living in lower-income countries. There is a big connection between health indicators and one’s education degree. The future of a child depends on their early childhood education. A high-quality education provides them with steady jobs that will enable them to pay for their healthcare services. It is vital to put consideration into the social and economic determinants of health if there is an urge to improve people’s health.
Moreover, culture can not be disregarded as a determinant of health. Culture is the way of living of a people. According to Shamsaei ( pg. 20, 2020), it can influence the health of persons either directly or indirectly. For instance, gender as a cultural element can regulate health habits in various ways. In some communities where male chauvinism is rampant, health information regarding women may be scarce. Culture dictates the meals of the people in the society, for instance, the utilization of alcohol and tobacco greatly depends on how the use of these drugs is culturally admissible. It is vital to consider culture when arranging for health transmission interventions to ensure the healthcare of individuals is enhanced.
Above all, environmental factors affect people’s health by a certain percentage. A fine environment is crucial in guaranteeing quality health for people. According to the Pan American Health Organization(“Environmental Determinants of Health – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization”), dangerous chemicals like virulent pesticides affect children and pregnant women. Addressing environmental determinants of health directly impacts positively the health conditions of masses. Likewise, it boosts indirectly the productivity and surges the comfort of dissipation of goods and amenities related to health indirectly.
All people have a responsibility to know how the social, economic, environmental, and cultural determinants of health affect their health lives. It is key to focus on how to manipulate these factors to better the health of the community since some factors are controllable by our daily behaviors.
References
“Environmental Determinants of Health – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization.” Paho.org, 2018, www.paho.org/en/topics/environmental-determinants-health. Accessed 1 Mar. 2022.
Chetty, Raj, et al. “The Association between Income and Life Expectancy in the United States, 2001-2014.” JAMA, vol. 315, no. 16, 26 Apr. 2016, p. 1750, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4866586/, 10.1001/jama.2016.4226.
Shamsaei, Maryam. “Cultural Determinants of Health.” ResearchGate, unknown, 19 Dec. 2020, www.researchgate.net/publication/347491758_Cultural_Determinants_of_Health. Accessed 1 Mar. 2022.
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