Social determinants of health
1) What are some of your own social determinants of health, and how have they affected your health? List four determinants and explain how each determinant has impacted your health. Be sure to use specific SOCIAL determinants, and not determinants. For information on the difference between the two, please refer to the lecture.
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2) Identify two health disparities (local, national, international). Tell me the disparities, and identify the statistics on each. Be sure to remember the definition of a disparity. You may not use any of the examples given in class lecture or the textbook. Also: be sure to cite your source in appropriate APA format.
3) Describe your own cultural beliefs on health. This should be approximately 4-5 sentences long, minimum. Keep in mind that the belief in Western medical practices is actually a cultural belief.
4) Watch the following video, “Three Reasons We Still Haven’t Gotten Rid of Malaria.” (https://www.ted.com/talks/sonia_shah_3_reasons_we_still_haven_t_gotten_rid_of_malaria?language=en). Identify four social determinants that impact malaria and describe each. In other words, what is the social determinant, and why does it impact malaria prevalence?
Sample Solution
Many of my own social determinants of health have had a significant impact on my overall health. To begin with, my access to resources has been a major factor in the quality of care I have received over the years. Growing up in an affluent neighborhood allowed me to receive more specialized healthcare than if I had lived in an area with fewer resources. Additionally, having parents who understood the importance of preventive care and regular check-ups enabled me to get adequate medical help as needed (Unger et al., 2017).
Another important factor which has impacted my health is education level. My parents prioritized academic success throughout my life and provided me with tutoring and various enrichment activities that helped develop different skill sets. This gave me greater access to higher education opportunities and improved job prospects which allowed for better financial stability down the road (Huang & Bruhn 2018). Having financial security also meant being able to afford healthier lifestyle choices such as organic groceries or gym memberships, providing more options when it came to taking care of myself both physically and mentally.
Similarly, living in a safe environment free from crime allowed me to go out without fear of being assaulted or harassed. It also gave me time away from stressors like loud noise or air pollution which can cause physical ailments such as headaches or respiratory diseases (Nguyen et al., 2019). Finally, growing up around people who valued healthy habits encouraged me to do so as well since seeing others exercising regularly or eating nutritious meals made these practices normalize in my mind instead of being seen as necessary evils.
Overall then, many social factors have shaped my current state of well being including access to resources, educational attainment, environmental safety and community norms. These elements all played a part in helping craft an environment where I felt secure enough take control over aspects related to how I cared for myself – something others are unfortunately not privileged enough experience.
