Determinants Of Health
CQ2: What influences the health of individuals? The determinants of health
COPY NOTES
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An individual’s level of health status and quality of life are the result of many factors interacting.
These factors are referred to as determinants of health.
Some of these factors can be controlled or modifiable by the individual, such as smoking cigarettes.
Some factors are beyond an individual’s capacity to control, so they are termed non-modifiable, eg. age/heredity. Determinants of health affect health in a cumulative way, hence they increase according to time and intensity of exposure.
Brainstorm a range of determinants which have the potential to influence one’s health status.
Individual Factors eg knowledge and skills, attitudes, genetics Individual factors
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Individual behaviours are the most obvious factors that contribute to health risk or health protection.
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Behaviours such as drinking alcohol or smoking, driving carefully or eating vegetables are easily observable. The population’s understanding of risk is widespread and the health of an individual can readily be attributed to behaviours like these. Individual factors - knowledge
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All Australians have access to knowledge. Mandatory health education, mass media campaigns, improving dissemination of health information by health professionals and global access to health information via the internet have ensured a high degree of general health knowledge among Australian people.
Individual factors - knowledge
Individual factors - knowledge
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•
Messages about diet, exercise, weight control, drug use, sun safety, driver safety, screening programs, water safety, safe sex and other health issues have been delivered through schools and the media for many years.
Nevertheless, there is evidence that while many of these health messages are reaching the population, some specific groups are not hearing or acting upon such important health messages or are not developing deeper knowledge about health
COPY NOTES
•
•
•
•
•
An individual’s level of health status and quality of life are the result of many factors interacting.
These factors are referred to as determinants of health.
Some of these factors can be controlled or modifiable by the individual, such as smoking cigarettes.
Some factors are beyond an individual’s capacity to control, so they are termed non-modifiable, eg. age/heredity. Determinants of health affect health in a cumulative way, hence they increase according to time and intensity of exposure.
Brainstorm a range of determinants which have the potential to influence one’s health status.
Individual Factors eg knowledge and skills, attitudes, genetics Individual factors
•
Individual behaviours are the most obvious factors that contribute to health risk or health protection.
•
Behaviours such as drinking alcohol or smoking, driving carefully or eating vegetables are easily observable. The population’s understanding of risk is widespread and the health of an individual can readily be attributed to behaviours like these. Individual factors - knowledge
•
All Australians have access to knowledge. Mandatory health education, mass media campaigns, improving dissemination of health information by health professionals and global access to health information via the internet have ensured a high degree of general health knowledge among Australian people.
Individual factors - knowledge
Individual factors - knowledge
•
•
Messages about diet, exercise, weight control, drug use, sun safety, driver safety, screening programs, water safety, safe sex and other health issues have been delivered through schools and the media for many years.
Nevertheless, there is evidence that while many of these health messages are reaching the population, some specific groups are not hearing or acting upon such important health messages or are not developing deeper knowledge about health