Transcript Document
Core 1: Critical Question 2 Heading: What Influences the Health of Individuals? Heading: The Determinants of Health It is now widely accepted that a person’s health is determined by more than just biology and the lifestyle choices that each person makes. The key determinants ·Individual factors ·Sociocultural factors ·Socioeconomic factors ·Environmental factors Heading: Individual Factors (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Genetics) Sub: Knowledge Knowledge and understanding that we develop about protective and risk health behaviours, products, services and support influence our ability to achieve good health. Our knowledge comes from a variety of sources – parents, siblings, peers, teachers, internet, media all play a part. However, having knowledge does not mean that people are able or willing to make healthy choices. Sub: Skills The acquisition of skills related to decision making, problem solving, communicating, interacting and moving may contribute to improved health as having these skills will empower people to make healthier choices. eg, being able to negotiate and resolve conflict helps maintain relationships and social health. Major Skill - Health literacy is the ability to understand and interpret health information and use it to promote and maintain good health. Sub: Attitudes There is a strong link between a person’s level of knowledge and their attitude. With their attitude likely affect the way they behave. For example, those who understand the pitfalls & illnesses associated with marijuana, are more likely to be against it’s use and other forms of drug use. Our attitudes are influenced by: ·family, ·peers, ·education, ·media, ·culture ·communities we live in. Sub: Genetics ·Genetic diseases affect 3% of the population >Cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, colour blindness, etc. ·Some genetic traits can affect health when combined with one or more risk factors: >Fair skin and UV radiation >Body shape and high-fat diet ·Family history is a major risk factor, eg Breast Cancer >Genetic screening can result in surgery or treatments ·Genetics traits can also be good things >Write your own? Heading: Socio-Cultural Factors (Family, Peers, Media, Religion and Culture) Sub: Family ·Main source of education and role modelling ·Majority of learnings occur by the age of five. ·Basic values, beliefs and habits learned before going outside the family unit. ·Influences areas such as diet, exercise and drug use ·Profound influence on health behaviours Sub: Peers Peers have a powerful influence on the decisions people make relating to health and the type of behaviours they undertake. Young people can be particularly influenced by the values, attitudes and behavior of their peers as they seek to establish their identity and feel a sense of belonging. Write your own example? Sub: Media ·A powerful and sophisticated influence ·Print, TV, cinema, internet, smart-phones, radio etc ·Advertising products, promotions and services can be both good and bad. Write three example of each? ·A persons Health Literacy level allows them to interpret these messages These few short advertisements give us an insight into some of the issues affecting young teens. They highlight the way in which media can negatively influence teens into believing what your body should look like according to society. The dove campaigns also provide a positive way in which media can show the negative messages the youth of today are recieving. Links to clips: Dove Evolution- Dove Onslaught- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I Manipulation- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_I17cK1ltY Reality- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94c43AlwLKo&feature=related Sub: Religion ·Development of spiritual awareness ·A sense of belonging and fellowship ·A positive influence through connectedness, leadership and ‘giving’ to others. Sub: Culture Patterns of activity that include the values and knowledge shared by a society. Health approaches may differ between groups e.g. the foods that you eat. What does our culture see as healthy? Heading: Socio-Ecomonic Factors (Income, Education, Employment) Sub: Income ·Those who have higher incomes have more money available to spend on health-related products and services, such as recreational activities, private health care and better quality food. ·Poverty, increases and individual’s exposure to risk behaviours and is likely to harm their health while also restricting their access to health services and products Sub: Education ·Education enables people to have a greater knowledge of health issues and increase their understanding of health protective and risk factors ·Enables people to develop skills that assist them in assisting health information and services. ·Education serves to develop within an individual a sense of empowerment over their lives. Sub: Employment ·Employment provides opportunities to be active, socially engaged, interaction and a degree of financial security. ·Unemployment has been linked to limited social contact, depression, loss of confidence and disempowerment. Heading: Environment Factors (Geograhpic Location, Access to Health Care and Technology) Sub: Geographic Location ·People living in rural and remote areas have to travel long distances for work, household related issues and socialising. ·Clean air, a regular supply of safe drinking water, consumption of properly handled foods can all promote improved individual and public health. Sub: Access to Health Services and Technology Access to quality health services and reliable technology influence a person’s level of health by making it easier to obtain accurate information about health issues and seek treatment & support when necessary. Heading: The Degree of control individuals exert over their health Not all Australians are able to exert the same degree of control which results in inequalities in health, for example Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people from low socioeconomic groups and people living in rural and remote areas. Inequality is the unequal distribution of illness or conditions throughout the population. This short clip follows the life of a youth worker at a youth centre called Oasis. This provides insight into the health behaviours of the homeless youth, the determinants of health and the degree to which individuals can exert control over their health (modifiable and non-modifiable health determinants). Link to clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40f2p5JQ57s Sub: Modifiable Determinants Modifiable health determinants are those determinants that can be changed or controlled so they have a different influence on our health. Write your own modifiable determinants ·Weight ·Dietary Habits ·Physical Activity Levels ·Social Practices ·Drug Use Sub: Non-Modifiable Determinants Non- Modifiable health determinants are those determinants that cannot be changed or altered. Write your own? ·Age ·Gender ·Genetics ·Race ·Geographical location (as a child or based on your imcome) Sub: Determinants through different life stages ·For babies and young children – their main influence is their family, in particular their parents. ·For adolescents and young adults – peers, media and celebrity role models start to have a greater influence on the decisions they make. ·Adults - Write your own ·Elderly- Write your own Heading: Health as a Social Construct Health as a social construct refers to the fact that people develop meanings of health depending on their social circumstances and that this view of health shapes a person's belief theirs and behaviours. Its also helps us to understand why improving the health status of particular groups within the community can be a complex and prolonged process. Sub: The Interrelationship of Determinants Health determinants can also be interrelated, and one determinant can affect another. For example, low income can influence housing opportunities, which can influence the suburb where we choose to live. The low income may have been influenced by poor educational opportunities as a child, which also affected their knowledge of healthy behaviours. Sub: Challenging the notion that Health is solely an individual responsibility Viewing health as a social construct challenges the notion that health is solely the responsibility of the individual. Need to find a balance between: Holding individuals responsible for their own health And Placing more responsibility on governments for working on the social determinants Consider the case of a teenage girl in a rural area who is experiencing an unwanted pregnancy. To blame her for not accessing health services to seek contraception is to blame the victim. -The girl may not have the personal skills or confidence to request a contraceptive device from her family doctor or pharmacist. -She may not be able to afford the regular purchase of the contraceptive or she may not have access to transport to a pharmacy. -Also, maintaining privacy in these situations can pose difficulties. The town where she lives may have only one general practitioner and the girl may be concerned that the general practitioner will tell her parents about her pregnancy. -The girl may not have her own Medicare card and so may need to use her family’s Medicare card. Question? Imagine you are a young person who has two of the following characteristics: ·Lives in remote community ·Has a disability ·Lives in a low socio-ecomonic area ·Is homeless ·Is Aboriginal ·Is from a culturally diverse background Describe how the characteristics you selected would influence the young person's health behaviours? Critical Questions 2 is now COMPLETE!!!