Healthcare Essay Example: The Social Determinants of Health

Social conditioning is essential in shaping and defining health risks and safety of individuals in the society. People regularly interact with the ecosystem through health determinants discussed below.

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Pictorial Description

Photo A; a male youth carries a sack of maize in a cereal firm

Photo B; a poor drainage caption of Favelas slum, Brazil

Photo C: a designed and structured residential home that with underlying drainage. It elaborates the management of environmental impact in controlling diseases.

Photo D: a football player celebrating. It shows that most youths engage in more active routines as compared to the aged.

Cultural factors are some of the leading determinants of health. The cultural dominance of a particular society plays a diminishing role in realizing health safety of the members of such a community. For instance, female circumcision is an epitome of dreadful health procedure observed in the traditional societies especially Africa (Abusharaf, 2013). The act is still considered as an assertion among some reservist because it exposes victims to unhealthy bleeding and mental torture as well as, psychological torture. Besides, the procedure for both female and male tends to be below the medical recommendation due to high risks involved such as sharing surgical equipment, a situation that can cause fatal disease transmissions such as HIV/AIDS or Cytomegalovirus. Regardless of the efforts made by many communities to circumvent the vice, horror, many have launched equally tricky trends to see the culture remain undisturbed. Similarly, some cities in Africa still oppose current medication, thus risking people to health challenges.

Employment and job conditions also determine the health of an individual. These factors lay a sound health effect on employees. Reports indicate that most employees spend most of their time in workplaces, and this determines their health status. For example, employees working at the mining sites are likely to suffer from various health conditions due to the intoxication from chemicals they inhale or substances they interact with. As such, they are at risk of suffering from diseases such as lung cancer (McIvor, 2013). Contrarily, employees who sit for long are likely to suffer from hypertension or diabetes due to little exercise.

Age and gender influence health status and type of disease that people suffer from. Reportedly, teens perform strenuous activities for economic or recreational purposes. These activities make them have unstable health due to the frequent exposure to injury and infections. The senior category, however, stays reserved hence safer from physical injuries (Wilbert, 2004). Similarly, there are many dare and aggression concerning gender. Principally, men are more daring than women (Minnis, 2015). Therefore, the former as shown in picture A, are prone to strenuous activities that make them susceptible to diseases.

Environmental structures are essential in the ecological and endowing infrastructure. Principally, a persons health is a partial attribute of the environment where he or she lives. As shown in the picture marked B, it is evident that Favelas, a slum in Brazil bears conspicuous drainage and housing system as it exposes filthy dumps near houses. Unsurprisingly, the slum has the highest cases of environmental hygiene diseases including dengue and tuberculosis (Ashton Acton, 2012). As opposed to photo C, the ecological setup of the region makes it difficult for the locals to contract diseases.

Economic strength is also a health determinant. Principally, the level of financial command relatively defines the health status and risk of an individual or society. People with more significant financial arm enjoy the pleasure of adequate and ample health plan and attention from qualified physicians. However, the destitute face harsh health accreditation since they merely rely on either free government services or inefficient substandard care and examination they can meekly afford.

Government and international health policies are also health determinant. Local and international prescriptions of health standards and practice have a massive impact on health status of the societies. Through foreign policies regarding BCG and polio, all citizens under this umbrella must have their newborn vaccinated and immunized soon after birth to control the exposure of the children of the nation or under the community from such dreaded diseases.

In conclusion, everyone should cross-examine their ecosystem to ensure that they attain a high standard of healthy living and freedom from intoxication and infection.

References

Abusharaf, R. M. (2013). Female Circumcision: Multicultural Perspectives. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Minnis, A. (2015). From Eden to Eternity: Creations of Paradise in the Later Middle Ages. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Mr Arthur McIvor, M. R. (2013). Miners' Lung: A History of Dust Disease in British Coal Mining. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Q. Ashton Acton, P. (2012). Tuberculosis: New Insights for the Healthcare Professional: 2011 Edition. Oxford: ScholarlyEditions.

Wilbert S. Aronow, J. L. (2004). Cardiovascular Disease In The Elderly, Third Edition, Revised And Expanded. Florida: CRC Press.

AppendixPhoto A

Photo B

Photo C

Photo D