Social Determinants of Health Essay Example
Sociocultural Perspectives on Health 161 SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ESSAY Length: Value: Due: 1,800 words 40% Thursday September 6th 2012 at 4:00p.m.
Semester 2, 2012
Social and economic policies have a determining impact on whether a child can grow and develop to its full potential and live a flourishing life, or whether its life will be blighted. Increasingly the nature of the health problems rich and poor countries have to solve are converging. The development of a society, rich or poor, can be judged by the quality of its population’s health, how fairly health is distributed across the social spectrum, and the degree of protection provided from disadvantages as a result of ill-health. (CSDH, 2008) Students are required to write an essay that: 1. Introduces the social determinants approach to health; 2. Discusses the impact of age OR public health infrastructure (i.e. rubbish disposal, sewage, access to clean water) as social determinants of health outcomes with reference to a detailed case study (e.g. a country or small region of interest). Your context may be a developed or developing country; 3. Provides examples of one or two programs in that country that aim to reduce health inequities (in your chosen area); and 4. Critical analysis and Conclusion: Critical Analysis: Responds to/analyses the implications of each of the main points raised in the essay; links analysis to the concepts of health equity and social justice. Conclusion: summarises your main findings; and discusses the implications for nurses working in the country. You must consult the references below AND conduct research to find additional academic sources of information. CSDH (2008). Closing the Gap in a Generation; Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Geneva: World Health Organisation. Germov, J. (Ed.). (2009). Second Opinion; An introduction to health sociology (4th ed). Melbourne:
Semester 2, 2012
Social and economic policies have a determining impact on whether a child can grow and develop to its full potential and live a flourishing life, or whether its life will be blighted. Increasingly the nature of the health problems rich and poor countries have to solve are converging. The development of a society, rich or poor, can be judged by the quality of its population’s health, how fairly health is distributed across the social spectrum, and the degree of protection provided from disadvantages as a result of ill-health. (CSDH, 2008) Students are required to write an essay that: 1. Introduces the social determinants approach to health; 2. Discusses the impact of age OR public health infrastructure (i.e. rubbish disposal, sewage, access to clean water) as social determinants of health outcomes with reference to a detailed case study (e.g. a country or small region of interest). Your context may be a developed or developing country; 3. Provides examples of one or two programs in that country that aim to reduce health inequities (in your chosen area); and 4. Critical analysis and Conclusion: Critical Analysis: Responds to/analyses the implications of each of the main points raised in the essay; links analysis to the concepts of health equity and social justice. Conclusion: summarises your main findings; and discusses the implications for nurses working in the country. You must consult the references below AND conduct research to find additional academic sources of information. CSDH (2008). Closing the Gap in a Generation; Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Geneva: World Health Organisation. Germov, J. (Ed.). (2009). Second Opinion; An introduction to health sociology (4th ed). Melbourne: