Health plays an important role in the well-being of an individual. It contributes to the societal growth and makes us live a healthy and strong life. This will also increase the life expectancy of individuals. Moreover, a healthy body and mind is essential for the sustenance of an individual. There are many leaders in the world who have given more importance to health and they have received immense benefit. It can be said that people are responsible for the various health problems, although there are certain important factors which are beyond the control of an individual. The social determinant of health is an important topic which requires careful analysis and further investigation. These health problems are also the products of Neo-Liberal capitalist system and they have helped in the profitability of human beings. There are certain other systems which are associated with suppressing and leaving many people in dearth. This also helps the human beings in fulfilling their basic needs at a much higher cost than required. This paper will highlight the various social factors which have led to health conditions from sociological perspective on the global level. The social determinants of health, education, social status and their influence on the societal behavior will be discussed in this paper.
The social determinant of health may be due to low income or the social condition in which one is associated with and it may affect the health status (AMA 2007). It affects the working and the living conditions of the people in their everyday life. There are various gradients of health in which people live and work and this may affect the well-being of an individual. These factors play an important role in determining how the individuals live and how they enjoy with their friends. Moreover, this may also be the result of the inequalities which exist in the society due to uneven distribution of wealth and the other factors such as societal behavior and genetics. As health is associated with high cost and this may lead to inequalities because there are many people who cannot afford to visit a doctor or any other physicians for checkup. The factors affecting the social determinants of health are food and nutrition, social support, criminal records, inclusion/exclusion and imprisonment (Johnson 2014). An example can be cited in regard to this. In our early life when there is no such foundation of good health such as during pregnancy or after birth, there may be risk of slow child growth such as disability and malnourishment. This may be due to lack of proper nutrition and emotional functioning which is attained only in adulthood (health.gov.au, 2017). In certain cases, these poor practices can also lead to improper cognitive development in the child (Marmot 2010). As the social determinants of health are very complex, there are many people who suffer from different health problems due to the environmental factors. The disabled people, for example in certain cases may also face different types of social exclusion in toilet, parking space and in other public places which can restrict the participation in the society. Similar is the case with people who have criminal records or who are incarcerated before. They do not have the freedom in the society and their stigmas reduce their ability to function properly. In such cases, social support is vital and they serve as an important tool of rehabilitation. If they do not get proper support from the society, there mental illness may develop further and they may find themselves in such conditions from where they would find difficulty in recovering themselves. Thus, it can be said that the social determinants of health can be understood through different framework and it is different for different individuals. In most cases, it is found that these problems occur due to poverty in their family.
Low income and lack of education are the main determinants of poor health for many people in the society. Income and education determines the job type and the standard of life that will be led by an individual. Education not only gives us knowledge or helps in gaining information but it is regarded as the key to success. It helps us in making things understanding and also helps us to assist others. Education also helps in assisting the tangible opinions or giving us different ideas in our life. An educated person will have much more career options and will also have a better chance of getting jobs than an uneducated person. Moreover, money plays an important role for earning our livelihood. So, if a person is uneducated, he/she will not get any better jobs. He/she will also not be able to live up to the standards and thus it will also not help him/her to live an independent life. Moreover, an uneducated person will also not be able to express their opinions properly or to take any wise decisions (Marmot and Wilkinson 2003). So, it can be said that education is important for the sustenance of an individual and to take any serious decisions in the society.
The food choice is not associated with income. It is determined from two dimensions such as under eating and overeating. Moreover, poor food choice also leads to the development of various kinds of illness such as tooth decay, high blood pressure and many more. For example, a rich man can purchase food according to his choice. But this is not the case with the poor man and he had to buy cheap food which is within his budget. Moreover, a poor man cannot afford to visit top restaurants or buy good food stuffs.
The unhealthy habits affect the nutrient intake of an individual. It is necessary to avoid salty and fatty foods and thus adopt healthy food practices. This awareness can be spared among the people through media and other modes of advertisement. The government must also introduce certain policies on healthy food intake. There must also be regulatory and legislative control on food advertisements (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2017).
Social status or capital is such a position which helps an individual to occupy an important position in the society. Higher education will lead to more value in life. Moreover, a person with low education background will have no such social status in the society. The people of higher social status also have the opportunity of getting better healthcare and education than the people of lower social status. An example can be cited of a rich man who can afford to visit the doctor as many times as he/she wants. He can visit any kind of specialist for his problem and also consume healthy and good diet. They also have the ability to live in a wealthy community and thus enjoy pollution free environment. On the other hand, a poor person cannot afford and thus enjoys a prisoner’s life. There are several problems around him and he/she is not able to get rid of them properly. A poor man also cannot bear the cost that is needed to solve the problem. They also do not have control over their food choice or are not aware of the happenings around them (Marmot and Wilkinson 2003). A poor man may also not have money to control the situation or take preventive steps to control the disease. Moreover, a poor man also has to resist his/her purchasing decisions due to unavailability of fund. The structural barriers may also prevent the poor person from escaping different types of poverty. This also reduces the life expectancy of the individuals compared to the people of high class. An example can be cited of the people of Japan who are much more educated and developed and thus they enjoy better working conditions than the people of Zimbabwe. The life expectancy of the people of Zimbabwe is 34 (AMA 2007). Although the Japanese people are educated even if they are not rich but they have the proper knowledge and skill to handle the problem in difficult situations compared to the people of Zimbabwe who are poor as well as uneducated. Even if the Japanese people are educated, they are not aware or do not have proper knowledge to manage their health as compared to the people to Zimbabwe. Another example can be cited of the people of the mortality rate of the infants. In Sierra Leone 1 death occurs among 21 people compared to 1 death among 3000 people in Sweden (Johnson2014). The social capital and the status determine the health problems and this does not depend on the race. Moreover, the life expectancy rate of the people of Zimbabwe is higher than Australia or Japan and it depends on their affordability to access the healthcare. The prices of the commodity are high due to hyper inflation. Due to the shortage of drugs and medicine, the people of Zimbabwe also suffered a lot. The lack of trained medical staff is a big problem to the country. There are many health workers who have left the country for better salaries and better working conditions. More than one million children have lost their lives due to HIV/AIDS epidemics. The UNICEF has estimated that that more than 400, 00 children have lost their parents due to many other causes. The same is the case with Australia where the aboriginal people lives their life below the expectancy level or below the national level. The changes in the practices and policies will help in living a better outcome of life.
The social/ cultural construct is such a process where the different categories of health are created by the society. The various interpretation of the individual or the group which exist through the various social practices which are based on assumption or human choice (Johnson 2014). It is also important to provide medical certificate in the workplace organization when an employee returns to the organization after long medical leave. This is necessary to prove that the employee was sick or there was some problem due to which he/she could not work in the organization. Moreover, during sick leave the employer is also entitled to get the required salary if he/she is a permanent employee. This must be proved by medical certification (abc.net.au 2017). The reality may not be the same case but it may occur through social interaction and the interpretation has become an accepted norm of the society. The patients who are performing the sick role are the examples of social health construction. An example can be cited of the doctor or the physician who is involved in diagnosing the various problems such as illness and he has to change the behavior of the individual through proper diagnosis (Marmot 2010). It is also necessary to add the bio-physiological state or the social state and this is possible by transferring the meaning of illness to the diseases (Raphael, 2006). The physicians in this case make illness and that illness is empirically and analytically separate from the other diseases which emerge due to language which is used in the description of the problem. There are certain bio-physiological conditions which are regarded as disability. For example, leprosy was the first disease which was identified as stigmatized disease and it was considered as a sin and uncleanliness (AMA 2007). The people with leprosy were also considered as outcasts. In India, the people with leprosy are considered as a curse to the society (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2017). The social construction can be detrimental and shameful. Similarly, HIV-AIDS is also stigmatized and it is usually transmitted through sex and link with the prostitutes. The patients of HIV hesitate to go for medical test for the fear of being identified. They also feel hesitation in telling their problems or seeking the help of healthcare providers or follow up their advices. There must be provision that they give up the information confidentially to the physicians and thus get their problems solved. This requires the support of the doctors a d the physicians as and when necessary. There is religious and cultural understanding which are associated with illness across the societies. These ideas help in ignoring the biological factors and create meaning without any moral case.
Conclusion
Thus, the various social determinants of health are discussed in this paper from sociological perspective. The three major aspects of social determinants of health are discussed in this paper. The importance of education has helped in increasing the level of thinking and giving confidence to the individuals. Moreover, income and education gives promising future and stable life and thus it helps the individual to lead a healthy life. There are certain people who do not get proper education and thus miss out different opportunities. The paper also highlighted an example of leprosy and its religious and cultural views. The effect of unequal distribution of wealth in the society is also discussed in the paper. Thus, it can be said that the societal structure will benefit the future generation.
References
Abc.net.au. (2017). News. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-10-15/the-rising-cost-of-healthy-foods/542604 [Accessed 23 Oct. 2017].
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https://ama.com.au/system/tdf/documents/AMA_Position_Statement_on_the_Social_Determinants_of_Health_and_the_Prevention_of_Health_Inequities_2007_0.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=40625
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