scholarly journals Social epidemiology and determinants of health in Fiji: social, cultural, and environmental factors influencing public health status, climate change and rates of Leptospirosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Tamara L Mangum ◽  
Brian P Mangum
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Factors Influencing

Determinants of health

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blánaid Daly ◽  
Paul Batchelor ◽  
Elizabeth Treasure ◽  
Richard Watt
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Whooping Cough ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Causes Of Disease

For health services to deliver effective prevention and treatment, a detailed understanding of the factors influencing health is critical. These factors are known as the determinants of health. Failure to address the underlying causes of disease in society will mean that sustainable improvements in the health of the population and a reduction in health inequalities will never be achieved. Tackling the contemporary determinants of health across society is a core function of public health and has now become the focus of government health policy in many parts of the world (WHO 2008). Many clinicians often feel frustrated when their advice to patients on ways of staying healthy is apparently ignored. Why don’t people stop smoking when they know the serious health risks of the habit? Why do some parents continue to give their children sweets when they have been given clear advice on the harmful effects on the child’s oral health? It is important for all health professionals to understand the factors influencing their patients’ choices and actions. Clinicians equipped with this knowledge are more likely to be effective at supporting their patients and enjoying their professional work. When asked what factors determine health, many people would probably highlight the importance of modern medicine. The use of antibiotics, high-tech equipment, and surgical advances might all be given as the most important reasons for improvements in health that have been achieved in the last hundred years. Why is modern medicine credited with such achievements and is this a true reflection of reality? Professor Thomas McKeown, a pioneer in public health research, conducted a detailed historical analysis of the reasons for the steady reduction in mortality rates that occurred in westernized countries during the last century (McKeown 1979). In his classic analysis he investigated changes in mortality rates for different conditions. As can be seen in Figure 2.1, with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, whooping cough, and measles, significant reductions in mortality rates occurred long before treatments and vaccination programmes were even introduced.

Public Health and Primary Care Collaboration: Interactional Factors Influencing Capacity Building

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda O'Mara ◽  
Ruta Valaitis ◽  
Nancy Murray ◽  
Donna Meagher-Stewart ◽  
Sabrina Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Factors Influencing

Health Disparities and the Social Determinants of Health: Ethical and Social Justice Issues

2019 ◽  
pp. 265-276
Author(s):  
Sridhar Venkatapuram
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Global Justice ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Early Infant ◽  
The Social

The term health disparities (also called health inequalities) refers to the differences in health outcomes and related events across individuals and social groups. Social determinants of health, meanwhile, refers to certain types of causes of ill health in individuals, including lack of early infant care and stimulation, lack of safe and secure employment, poor housing conditions, discrimination, lack of self-respect, poor personal relationships, low community cohesion, and income inequality. These social determinants stand in contrast to others, such as individual biology, behaviors, and proximate exposures to harmful agents. This chapter presents some of the revolutionary findings of social epidemiology and the science of social determinants of health, and shows how health disparities and social determinants raise profound questions in public health ethics and social/global justice philosophy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document