Health and the determinants of health

Health represents one of the most significant preoccupations that a high majority
of the people have during their everyday life. Being not only one of our daily
concerns, health proves its importance both at national and global level. Many
aspects should be considered regarding the evolution of health condition and
wellbeing influencing it more or less directly. As an example I present the
situation of a child who has a poor nutrition, being easily to observe how this
factor might lead to illness but it can be a little bit more difficult to notice how the
amount of finances resources allocated to public health in one specific area will
lead to increased chances of morbidity thorough adults (Chart 1). This might lead
to inadequate care services or to a lack of medicines and qualified personnel for
treating the patients as a result, influencing negatively the health condition of
individuals.
In the past years, the main factors gathered into several main categories like
social, biological, physical, and environmental factors. However, the persons
individual characteristics and behaviours configuring finally the individuals
lifestyle choice (WHO, 2013) is also one of the most important factors which
determine her/his health condition and wellbeing. Through the physical
determinants we find: natural environment (weather, climate, plants), built
environment (transportation, buildings), housing, homes and neighbourhoods,
exposure to toxic substances and physical hazards (type of work), physical
barriers (people with disabilities), worksite and recreational settings while the
biological determinants we find the gender, the age, genetics, the family history
of diseases.
Probably many of these factors can seem to have a small signification, but even
that, they are really important to be considered in the development of Health and
Social Care. Concerning this problem, one of the most significant factors for the
improvement of health and social care is the surrounding environment. The
surrounding environment represents things what surround us in our everyday life,
including the quality of the air that we breathe and also the water we drink. In
areas affected by pollution, the chances to get sick are increased even if we talk
about infectious or non-infectious diseases.
One of the most important ways of improving the quality of health is represented
by the choices we make every day. But even that, we have to recognize the major
role that our friends and family plays both in our everyday life and over our
health condition. The idea of the involvement of friends and family in the
improvement of quality of health has not only advantages but also
disadvantages. In what concerns its advantages, involving a patients family will
provide him/her confidence and a positive state of mind and will also make
him/her fell more comfortable, leading probably to a faster recovery. The fact that
the family can become anxious influencing in a negative manner the patients
state of mind is one the disadvantages of this idea. Also, the family and the

friends can complain about irregularities and about care conditions when the
service user is not able to, fact that represents a clear advantage because its
assure the patients safety.
However, the education has a main role for a Health and social care worker for
many reasons. Firstly, represents the main way of acquiring basic information
regarding this domain including the risks and the common situations a care
worker could meet as to know how to react and how to solve the problems.
As a result, to have well prepared service providers means that the chances to
benefit from better services and an improvement of the quality of health are
highly increased. The individuals major role in improving public health refers not
only his/her own decisions concerning its lifestyle but also his/her possibility to
involve in this domain as a volunteer, helping people with specific needs and as a
result, contributing to a better quality of life.
However, a main role in healthcare is played by the public health through its
purpose of preventing of diseases and promoting health in all environments from
individuals, to organizations, society and the community.
To summarize, many determinants of health might have direct or indirect
influence over the health condition and wellbeing, but the most important part is
their contribution to the development of health and social care.
Chart 1.
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Probability of dying
between 15 and 60 years
per 1000 population
General government
expediture on health as a
percentage of total
government expediture

References:
WHO, 2013, The determinants of health, website, accessed 19 Nov 2013,
<http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/index.html>
WHO, 2013, Data and statistics, website, accessed 19 Nov 2013,
<http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.75>
WHO, 2013, Data and statistics, website, accessed 19 Nov 2013, <
http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.11?lang=en>