Essay On Social Determinants

We commonly think that health relates to our age, gender, and genetic factors from our parents. Most people realize that our health is affected by lifestyle factors like how much we exercise, the food we eat, and unhealthy habits. However, these aspects are only a small part of what affects our health. Social determinants are social factors that may influence an outcome in health, which may include things like: social class, occupation, level of education, and neighborhood conditions. Furthermore, looking at individual determinants such as food can describe the social determinant. Several things influence what we decide to eat, including how much money we can afford to spend on food. For example, ordering a hamburger from a fast food restaurant …show more content…
In addition to this, unemployment and unstable working conditions can negatively impact one’s health. It may cause stress to the individual and thus the negative effects of stress can raise the risks for heart disease and further weaken one’s immune system. With education, it can lead to a greater likelihood of employment and a well paying job that can result in better health. An example of the social determinant of health could be the social aspect for specific types of jobs that are available. For example, if a country does not have the adequate amount of jobs offered to all, it will further result in a sum of the population lacking the necessary income, which may result in not having the financial means to take care of their overall health and well-being. Moreover, without the proper paying job, it will be difficult to live in a middle class neighborhood, which plays as a major key element in overall health. As noted by Thornton, Moving to middle income neighborhoods was associated with better self- reported health and decreased substance use, increased rates of employment, and decreased exposure to neighborhood violence (Thornton 1418). On the other hand, residing in low-income neighborhoods may restrict people from