Assignment: Social Determinants Of Health Care Nursing Essay Assignment: Social Determinants Of Health Care Nursing Essay The social determinants of health are responsible for health inequalities. For reducing health inequalities and improving health status of people, it is important to recognize main factors which are affecting health, that is, determinants of heath. Maori has the poorest health status in New Zealand. Economic factors have major role in contributing better health. People with low income are more vulnerable to diseases and disabilities. This essay will discuss about relation between economic factors related to heath and current nursing practice and identifying New Zealand government strategies to reduce this disparity. Moreover, discussing about psychological factors associated with smoking and crises due to this risk taking behaviour. Assignment: Social Determinants Of Health Care Nursing Essay ORDER INSTRUCTIONS-COMPLIANT NURSING PAPERS The social determinants of health consists of various factors that determine health and wellbeing, for instance, socio-economic factors, genders, cultures and education (McMurray, 2010). Some groups of people are healthier than others. There is a relation between income and health, as well as they are strong predictors of health. People with low economic status have poor education, unemployment, job insecurity bad working conditions and lower class jobs (Marmot, Foege, Mocumbi & Satcher, 2008). It affects the access of healthy environments and appropriate medical care facilities (Dew & Matheson, 2008). In New Zealand, there is a significant disparity in health between the Maori and non-Maori people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Maori people and pacific people are highly vulnerable to ill health and disabilities. Maori mortality rates are approximately double as compared with European New Zealanders rate (Dew &Davis, 2005). However, many surveys found that Maori have similar or lower rates of hospitalization than other New Zealanders in spite of their higher demand of treatment. This shows that financial conditions affect not only production but also consumption of health care. (Ministry of Health, 2002). The poor health status of Maori may due to poor economic circumstances. Maori people aged between 45 years and 64 years are more likely to die than others in this same age in New Zealand (Dew & Matheson, 2008). Inequality in life expectancy and the risk of death rate are significant health inequality. The gap in life expectancy between Maori and non-Maori increased to 10 years. The early death rate in Maori population is mainly related to occupational class. More Maori people are doing unskilled works than others and it can cause higher risk of early death (Dew & Matheson, 2008). Nursing services should be organised according to demands of whanau rather than the needs of providers. Nurses must recognise, understand and remove financial, cultural, geographical, physical barriers for reducing inequalities in health. Assignment: Social Determinants Of Health Care Nursing Essay Economic barriers are unsafe working conditions with little jobs, unemployment, inadequate housing, crime, high disparities in income and wealth. Participation and encouraging them with proper support at all levels of the health and disability sector can improve their status. Maori participation should be ensured in planning, development and delivery of health and disability services (King & Turia, 2002). Therefore, they must get appropriate and effective nursing care. Moreover, Maori should be ensured with development and workforce enhancement. Nursing services should be culturally appropriate. Maori health models should be used for caring Maori. Build and recognize values of Maori models of health and traditional healing, for example, massage, herbal remedies and spiritual care. They want services that reflect Maori cultural values. Nurses must provide workplace education, health promotion and clinical services to keep the work place and its employers safe and healthy. They need high levels of communication skills, understanding of interpersonal and government standards and legislation. Plunket nurses provide family parenting support in community (McMurry, 2010). Treaty of Waitangi protects the rights of responsibilities of Maori. Therefore, it reduces in equalities in health in New Zealand ( McMurray, 2010). The government introduces strategies to decrease inequality in health status. They are New Zealand Health Strategy as well as Health and Disability Strategy. This strategy makes sure accessible and appropriate care services for people from lower socio- economic group including Maori. It helps to identify and provide care according to their health needs. The Ministry of Health provides nutritional guidelines and policies for New Zealanders to address nutritional needs. ORDER Assignment: Social Determinants Of Health Care Nursing Essay Maori and Pacific people are the groups, who have the poorest health status in New Zealand. Improving the quality of health education programs focused at Maori can improve their status. Encourage the Maori health providers to participate in health section and organization of smoking cessation programs. Increase mental health services for Maori. People with poor health often find to get a good job. Health status determines socio-economic position. The main disability services are income support, disability allowance, accidental compensation, antidiscrimination legislation as well as education and support services for people with disabilities, chronic illness and mental health illness living in the community (King & Turia 2002).The government and the Ministry of Health provide key priority to reduce health disparity among Maori. Encourage Maori health providers to build Maori models of health. The New Zealand Disability Strategy pointed out the demand to remove the barriers like discrimination among Maori with disabilities. Improve the number of trained Maori clinicians, health professionals, managers, community and voluntary worker and researchers in order to strengthen the health and disability sector. Improving the skills of the Maori health and disability workforce can reduce inequality in health. Publicly funded hospitals and primary health care organisations have started to identify and meet the needs of Maori. Now many hospitals have Maori and whanau units, as a result they get better care and culturally safe treatment. District health boards are working with primary health care and it plays a significant role in reducing health inequalities (King, 2002). Smoking is significantly prevalent among Maori in New Zealand. Many Maori women die early due to smoking related to illness at greater than others. There is no decrease in the smoking percentage among Maori for the last five years. There are many psychological factors that are associated with smoking. Depression and anxiety are closely related with smoking. Depression can cause smoking, whereas, addiction of smoking can lead to depression. Parental influence is another causative factor for smoking. If parents are smokers, children will be more vulnerable to smoking. Researchers found that, these children have four fold risks than other children. Suicidal tendencies, low self esteem, poor body image, low socio-economic status, and lack of academic performance at school as well as poor quality of life are also influencing factors for smoking. The psycho-social conditions of adolescents and their behaviour decisions can cause depression and risk taking behaviours (McMurry, 2010). In New Zealand, 42% smokers are Maori. These indigenous people with low levels of education, employment and home ownership are more vulnerable to smoking. People who have prolonged mental stress are also having a high risk of smoking. Many youngsters start to smoke as an experiment. Finally they gets addicted to these substances. Smoking can cause severe health problems like lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia and asthma. Passive smokers are also more vulnerable to lung cancer. When women smoke during pregnancy, it can lead to intra uterine death and deliver a baby with low birth weight (MOH, 2008). In conclusion, Maori have poorest health status in New Zealand. The socio- economic determinants of health are responsible for health equalities. Home ownership and property ownership are low in Maori than others. Therefore, salary is the main source of income for them. Labour market is a significant income for them. The low income negatively influences their health. The government introduced New Zealand Health Strategy to reduce inequality. This essay discussed about current nursing practice taking initiation to reduce this disparity. Moreover, Risk taking behaviour such as smoking causes many problems and psychological factors related with smoking. Assignment: Social Determinants Of Health Care Nursing Essay. Order Now

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Social Determinants Of Health

Introduction

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the social and economic conditions in which people live, work, learn, and play that impact their health. In other words, SDOH is the individual’s environment that affects one’s health status. This includes housing and shelter; employment opportunities; education; food security and nutrition; as well as other aspects of life such as access to healthcare services or criminal justice systems. Social Determinants of Health have been shown to have a profound impact on our lives in ways we may not even realize. For example:

What is social determinants of health?

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These include food security; housing; education; employment opportunities; income levels and access to services.

SDOH are influenced by the distribution of money, power and resources (wealth), which can be changed by social policy interventions.

Why do we need to talk about SDOH?

Social determinants of health are important because they affect health inequities.

Health inequities are a major driver of chronic disease, which makes social determinants one of the most targeted areas for public policy change. As it stands now, people living in poverty are less likely to get regular check-ups or treatment and they often experience poorer outcomes than those who do. These factors can lead to conditions like heart disease or diabetes that would otherwise be preventable if only we could make sure everyone has access to quality healthcare regardless of their income level or background.

How can team-based care help SDOH?

Team-based care can help address SDOH by bringing together a group of providers who work together to address the root causes of an individual’s health condition. The goal is to build a collaborative network that brings together all relevant stakeholders in order to identify, evaluate and apply interventions that address each patient’s needs. This process may include:

Physicians
Nurses
Physical therapists/occupational therapists
Social workers
Pharmacists

Shortcomings of an individualized approach

The individualized approach to health care has been criticized for its lack of sustainability, cost effectiveness and the inability to address social determinants of health.

In our current system, people are more likely to receive timely care if they have insurance or a high-deductible plan. This has led some healthcare providers to seek ways in which they can provide better services at lower costs without increasing the burden on their patients’ wallets (or their own). One example is telemedicine: by using video technology instead of doctors in face-to-face interactions with patients at home or other remote locations where access may be limited (such as rural areas), providers can provide quality care while still keeping overall costs down.

What are some key examples of SDOH?

Food access and security
Housing instability, overcrowding, homelessness
Transportation
Unemployment, underemployment or inadequate income
Education attainment or lack of education access (e.g., lower-income students who don’t have the same opportunities as their wealthier counterparts to succeed in school) * Racism and discrimination

Food access and security

Food access is a social determinant of health that refers to the ability to obtain food. It has been shown to be directly correlated with health outcomes, including obesity and diet-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

In contrast, food security is defined as “the capacity of individuals or households to acquire adequate food for all members over time.” Food security can be measured by asking people about their ability to afford enough nutritional foods in their daily lives or by observing how often they go hungry (e.g., through surveys).

While these two concepts may seem similar on surface level – both refer specifically to whether you have access (or not) – there are important differences between them:

Housing instability, overcrowding, homelessness

Housing instability, overcrowding, homelessness and food insecurity are all major SDOHs.

Housing instability is defined as a lack of affordable housing that causes people to remain in unsafe conditions or pay more than their income. It can also be caused by being evicted or having difficulty paying rent due to financial issues such as unemployment or disability.

Homelessness is a growing problem in Canada with over 150 000 people using shelters across the country every night on average (Statistics Canada). The majority of these individuals have experienced severe poverty prior to becoming homeless; this includes living below the poverty line for six months or longer during the past year (Human Resources & Skills Development Canada). Overcrowding is another major SDOH that occurs when there aren’t enough rooms available for everyone who needs them at once; this happens during periods such as holiday breaks when schools tend to let out early so students can go home early instead of staying late into Friday afternoon just because there aren’t any beds left available yet!

Transportation

Transportation is a key SDOH. Access to transportation can be a barrier to healthcare and employment, especially for people who live in rural areas or far from major cities.

For example, if you’re trying to get medical care but don’t have access to transportation, your condition will likely worsen before it gets better because you won’t be getting the treatment that’s needed. This can also lead to delayed diagnosis of diseases like cancer and diabetes which are harder for doctors and nurses to detect early on in their progression through the body.

Unemployment, underemployment, or inadequate income

Unemployment, underemployment, or inadequate income can lead to poor health. In the United States, more than one in five adults were at least one day away from their family’s primary place of residence due to homelessness in 2015 (National Alliance to End Homelessness). When people lose their jobs and cannot afford housing on their own, they are forced into homelessness. This puts them at risk for other risks like depression and stress which can also result in poor health.

Education attainment or lack of education access

The underlying determinants of health are education and income. Education is a key determinant of health because it can help people avoid health risks and find better jobs, making decisions that improve their quality of life.

Racism and discrimination

Racism is a form of discrimination. It’s a system in which privileges and advantages are given to some people because of their race, ethnicity, or national origin. Racism can be overt, like when someone says “I don’t like black people” or “those Asians are smart,” or covert, like when someone only hires other Asian employees for an office job.

Racism also occurs on an individual level through intentional or unintentional acts such as making racist jokes or comments about racial groups as part of everyday conversation; mocking someone based on their ethnicity; refusing service to someone because they’re from certain racial groups; discrimination against hiring practices that favor members from particular ethnic backgrounds over others (for example: requiring applicants who have lived in the area for at least one year); segregation between different races within schools/hospitals/public housing projects etcetera…