Essay On Social Determinants Of Health

By definition, social determinants of health are economic and social conditions that influence the health of people and communities. People’s health is linked with the social economic conditions which we live and these will be shaped by the social political and economic forces and could destroy our personal health and wellbeing. Social determinant of health including the social gradient, unemployment, transport, early life experience, social exclusion, poverty, justice, work, addiction, stress, food social support and so on. Social determinants are important to public health from various aspects. For example, according to CDC report, low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with an increased risk for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cervical cancer as well as for frequent mental distress.[15] The real median earnings of both men and women who worked full time decreased between
Firstly, addressing determinants of health is important to achieving health equity and reduce health inequality. Health equity is "when everyone has the opportunity to 'attain their full health potential' and no one is 'disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of their social position or other socially determined circumstance'" [1]. Health inequalities can be defined as differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups. Health equity has also been defined as "the absence of systematic disparities in health between and within social groups that have different levels of underlying social advantages or disadvantages—that is, different positions in a social hierarchy" [2]. Social determinants of health such as poverty, unequal access to health care, lack of education, stigma, and racism are underlying, contributing factors of health