Social Determinants Of Health

Front 1

Social Determinants of Health - Definition

Back 1

conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age; and are the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.

Front 2

1. Social Gradient

Back 2

Life expectancy is shorter and most diseases are more common further down the social ladder in each society.

Lower ranking staff suffer much more disease and earlier death than high ranking staff.

Front 3

2. Stress

Back 3

Social and psychological circumstances can cause long term stress. Such psychological risks accumulate during life and increase the chances of poor mental health and premature death.

Front 4

3. Early Life

Back 4

Infant mortality is a widely accepted indicator of population health and the effectiveness of the health system. A good start in life means supporting mothers and their young children: the health impacts of early development and education last a lifetime.

Front 5

4. Social Exclusion

Back 5

Poverty, relative deprivation and social exclusion have a major impact on health and premature death, and the chances of living in poverty are loaded heavily against some social groups

Front 6

5. Work

Back 6

Stress in the workplace increases the risk of disease. People who have more control over their work have better health.

Front 7

6. Unemployment

Back 7

Job security increases health, well-being and job satisfaction. Higher rates of unemployment cause more illness and premature death.

Front 8

7. Social Support

Back 8

Friendship, good social relations and strong supportive networks improve health at home, at work and in the community.

Front 9

8. Addiction

Back 9

Alcohol dependence, illicit drug use and cigarette smoking are all closely associated with markers of social and economic disadvantage.

Front 10

9. Food

Back 10

The main dietary differences between social classes is the source of nutritions. The poor tend to substitute cheaper processed foods for fresh foods.

Front 11

10. Transport

Back 11

Transport policy can play a key role in combating sedentary lifestyles by reducing reliance on cars, increasing walking and cycling, and expanding public transport.

Front 12

Nurses Role #1

Back 12

Think holistically, not only in terms of biomedical abnormality or aberration - social determinants of health have significant impact on health outcomes.

Front 13

Nurses Role #2

Back 13

Work towards changing perceptions and removing social or systems related restrictions - socioeconomic status, transport, access to services and the availability and quality of social services are key determinants of health.

Front 14

Nurses Role #3

Back 14

Nurses play a part in acknowledging these needs in policy and community action.