Different Determinants of Health

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The Way Different Determinants of Health Influence on Individual and Community Health

Health is defined as the state of complete emotional, mental, social, and physical well-being, not simply the absence of infirmity or disease. It is not merely the disease's absence but the capability of an individual to recover and bounce back from ill health or other issues (What is good health? 2020). Genetics, relationships, education, and environment are the factors that contribute to good health. In the wider society, it is the resource to support the function of an individual. Health is the capability of the body to adapt to new infirmities and threats. The health of an individual can be impacted by cultural factors. For instance, around the Mediterranean, individuals are more likely to intake a high level of olives, vegetables, and fruits and to eat as a family in comparison to cultures with a high intake of fast food. Apart from this, the health is also impacted by the way an individual manages stress. People who take drugs, smoke, or drink to forget their problems or difficulties in life are likely to have more problems associated with health as compared to people who combat through exercise and a healthy diet (Ahnquist, Wamala, and Lindstrom, 2012).

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Health Equity

Health equity refers to the differences in the state of health or in the distribution of resources associated with health between distinct population groups that arise from the condition in which individuals are born, grow, work, and live. There is a lot of evidence that social forces have a marked impact on the health of a person. These include income level, education, gender, employment status, and ethnicity (10 facts on health inequities and their causes, 2017). These have significant economic and social costs to both people as well as society. For instance: In countries with low income, the average expectancy of life is 62 years, whereas in nations with high income, it is 81 years. A baby born in Japan is expected to live for 84 years, while in Sierra Leone it can be expected to survive for 50 years. Another example of health inequity includes maternal mortality, which depicts a wide gap between poor and rich people in countries (Allen, Balfour, Bell, and Marmot, 2014). Developing nations account for around 99 percent of yearly maternal deaths across the world. In Sweden, the women have a death risk of less than 1 in 10,000, while the risk in Chad is 1 in 16.

Health Inequality

Health inequity refers to the unavoidable and unjust differences in the health of people between particular people groups and across the population. Inequalities in health go in opposition to the social justice principles as they are avoidable. These do not occur by chance but are socially identified by situations largely beyond the control of an individual (What are health inequalities? 2020). These circumstances impact the health of individuals and lower their chances of living a healthy and long life. The prime cause of health inequalities is the unequal distribution of power, wealth, and income, which can lead to the marginalization of groups and poverty. For instance, in Scotland, a woman experiences 22.6 more years of good health and a man experiences 23.8 more years in the most affluent areas in comparison to the deprived areas. Apart from this, violence based on gender is experienced unequally, with 7 percent of men and 17% of women having experienced the utilization of force from an ex-partner or partner at some point in life. In the United Kingdom, the data from 2017 depicts that the life expectancy at birth has reached 83.2 years for females and 79.6 years for males (Inequalities in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2018).

Lifestyle

Lifestyle refers to the way an individual lives his/her life, including attitudes, possessions, and style. It is also defined as the behaviors, opinions, interests, and behavioral orientations of people or cultures. It is the combination of deciding tangible or intangible forces. Demographic variables are specifically included in tangible factors, i.e., the demographic profile of an individual, while intangible forces are associated with psychological aspects of a person like personal preferences, outlooks, and values. Thus, lifestyle is a way of shaping a sense of self and developing cultural signs that go with the personal identity of an individual. In the last decades, the expectancy of life has increased constantly and transmutation from infectious to degenerative diseases has developed new health problems related to lifestyle (Embrett and Randall, 2014). Therefore, the conditions have transformed, and the diseases, which are chronic and non-communicable, have become a burden in developing and developed nations.

Smoking

Smoking is one of the lifestyle-based determinants that impact the health of an individual adversely. It is an addictive practice in which a substance is burned; the smoke results in it being breathed in and absorbed into the bloodstream of an individual. For hundreds of years, tobacco has been smoked, chewed, and sniffed by people, which makes them addicted to it. There are different reasons for which people start smoking (Gottlieb and et. al., 2015). Some start as their friends or family members smoke, and others think that it looks cool. It harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases by damaging airways and air sacs found in the lungs. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that around 78,000 people die each year due to smoking.

(Source: Smoking Prevalence in Adults in England: Trend in Current Smokers, 2108)

The above statistics show the prevalence of smoking in England is falling continuously. In 2017, 14.9% of adults smoked, which falls to 14.4%, which means a drop of around 175,000. It depicts that the rate of smoking prevalence went down by almost a quarter 5 years ago from 19.3% (Turning the tide on tobacco: Smoking in England hits a new low, 2018). There are still some groups where the rate of smoking remains excessively high, despite efforts to minimize inequalities. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, smoking has fallen speedily, but of specific concern is the 1.4 million people aged 25 to 34 who smoke. Tobacco smoking is the greatest cause of illness and death in the world. It increases the risk of developing serious health conditions. To minimize the smoking habits of people, the government of England has prepared a Tobacco control plan for the years 2017-22. This plan emphasizes reducing the prevalence of smoking among teenagers and adults and the inequality gap in England. In this, some key programs are developed by the government in which access to training is provided to all health professionals regarding smoking cessation to support smokers to quit smoking. Apart from this, the government restricts the promotion of tobacco in the United Kingdom (Reduce Tobacco Promotion, 2019). For instance: sponsorship and advertising are banned; a ban on tobacco products displayed in shops, etc.

Biological Determinants of Health

Biological determinants of health include body functioning, structure, and genetics that impact the health of an individual. These factors may be classified as exogenous and endogenous. Immunity and genetic heritage include endogenous biological determinants, which are acquired from maternal antibodies transmitted in the mother's milk or passed across the placenta. Exogenous determinants include living things with which people interact, like microorganisms, which create ill effects on the health of individuals. Disability is one of the biological determinants of health. It is an issue that directly influences a significant proportion of people in the United Kingdom. A disabled person is an individual who has a mental or physical impairment that has a long-term and substantial negative impact on the ability to perform daily routine activities (Greenwood, De Leeuw, Lindsay, and Reading, 2015). They are often not able to fulfill social obligations and roles because of restrictions set by impairment.

 According to the data of the government, there are around 13.3 million people in the UK who are disabled, which depicts that they now make up 22 percent of the United Kingdom's population (People with Disabilities, 2018). Disability highly impacts on people as well as community. People with disabilities may face many issues in getting employment and people may not treat them well in society. Approximately 10 million individuals in the nation suffer from hearing loss, 2 million have sight issues, and 17% are born with disabilities. In 2016, the employment rate among disabled population was 46.5%. Negative attitudes based on stereotypes or prejudice stop disabled persons from having equal opportunities. To provide equal opportunities to disabled people, the government of the UK formulated various laws and policies (Hertzman, Frank, and Evans, 2017). For instance: the Equality Act, of 2010, according to which organisations must treat disabled people equally and provide them with equal opportunities. This act provides various rights to individuals with disabilities, like education, access to good facilities, etc. Apart from this, the government spends over 50 billion pounds to provide support to disabled people (Kickbusch and Gleicher, 2012).

Bad housing condition

Bad housing conditions are associated with wider health conditions like injuries, respiratory infections, injuries, lead poisoning, asthma, mental health, etc. Lack of maintenance of housing leads to poor conditions inside the home. These conditions harm the health of individuals by maximizing exposure to hazards like lead in paint, carbon monoxide, and allergens. These may cause neurological impairment, heart damage, and death. The behavior and health of children may impacted by exposure to low levels of leads. Families with low income are more likely to live in poor housing conditions, which can damage their health. The homes that are insulated, cost more to heat and lack air conditioning leading to poor health outcomes. For instance: living in a cold home may lead to increased blood pressure and maximize the risk of heart attack. In the United Kingdom, around 3 in 10 people live in poor housing conditions. More than 975,000 children are living in socially rented housing, 845,000 in privately rented housing, and 1.7 million in owner-occupied housing (People Living in bad Housing: Numbers and health impacts, 2020).

In England, more than 8 million individuals are living in poor housing. A study depicts that 3.6 million individuals live in overcrowded homes, 1.4 million are living in poor conditions, 2.5 million can not afford a house and a similar number of people are living with relatives or parents against their wishes (More than 8 million people in England living in unsuitable housing, 2020). To minimize the issue of bad housing conditions of people and improve their living standards, the government of the country develops affordable homes for people and provides them at low rates. Apart from this, they cracked down on scalawag landlords, banned capped deposits and unfair fees, and saved 240 million pounds a year to ensure secure and safe housing for millions (Kickbusch, 2015).

Also read: Effect Of Cultural Values on Patient's Health

CONCLUSION

As per the above-mentioned report, it has been concluded that health is a very crucial aspect that needs to be considered by every individual to ensure a healthy life. It is a positive concept that emphasizes personal and social resources, along with physical capabilities. There are various determinants of health like lifestyle, biological, physical, etc. that hurt the health of the population. Smoking leads an individual to various serious issues like lung disease, cancer, etc. Moreover, poor housing conditions and disability also influence the lives of individuals. To ensure the healthy life of people, the government puts in various efforts and implements various strategies and policies to improve the health of people.

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