Social Determinants and Social Imagination among Pregnant Aboriginal Women who Smoke

Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 1
Social Determinants and Social Imagination among the Pregnant Aboriginal Women who Smoke
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 2
Introduction
The aboriginals and the Torres Islanders have a cultural belief in traditional medicine. A
majority of the indigenous communities believe that modern medications disrespect their culture
(Kowal, Greenwood, & McWhirter, 2015). The increase in the mortality rates of Aboriginal
women who smoke during pregnancy is due to social determinants and social imagination
framework. Social determinants of health are parameters that dictate an individual’s quality of
life (Mitrou et al., 2014). On the hand, social imaginations are discriminatory cultural factors that
influence the health status of an individual (Wain et al., 2016). Examples of social determinants
that affect the life of the aboriginal women include income, education, employment, transport,
and addictions. The aspects of social imagination are history, culture, structure, and critical
factors facing the pregnant women who smoke. This essay will also reflect on my understanding
to explanations of the ideas surrounding the two theoretical frameworks.
Fist person language will be applicable in explaining my reflection on the frameworks
and suggestions of providing culturally-sensitive care. Third person language will apply when
interpreting the concepts of social determinants and social imaginations. This write-up will
discuss how the frameworks affect the lives of expectant Aboriginal mothers who smoke. The
paper will also explain how the acquired knowledge will change both my personal and
professional aspects of practice. Finally, the paper will suggest the policies to rectify the
emerging issues.
Social Determinants and Imagination Frameworks
The first determinant is the income status of the smoking, pregnant Aboriginal women.
Recent research has indicated that the indigenous tribes earn less income than the other tribes.
The low income is due to discrimination due to the race of the women (Race et al., 2017). The

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 3
gender bias also contributes to the low pay for the pregnant mothers. The low income has
numerous effects that shorten the lifespan of the people. The little earnings bar the mothers from
affording three meals a day; therefore, the unborn children suffer from malnutrition. The
smoking habit affects the lungs of the women; hence complicating their ability to breath. A
smoking woman requires specialized medical attention and counseling to contain the habit. The
smoking affects not only the life of the mother but also that of the unborn baby (Gould et al.,
2017). However, medical attention towards the effects of smoking is expensive, and the women
cannot afford it due to their low incomes. I, therefore suggest that the government should
implement the universal income policy to benefit all Australians. It is my duty as an RN to
conduct free counseling to the women by advising them against smoking during pregnancy.
The second determinant of health among the aboriginals is the level of Education. Quality
education impacts a person with knowledge and skills about matters concerning health. Recent
studies have shown that a majority of the aboriginals have little or no educational backgrounds
(Shahram et al., 2017). The pregnant indigenous mothers are smoking since they lack knowledge
of the impacts of the habit on themselves and their unborn child. Recent research has shown that
pregnant women from the majority tribes are less likely to smoke during pregnancy than the
aboriginals. The basis of the study is the disparity in education levels between the two sets of
individuals. Proper education is a pointer to the appropriate remedy for the effects of smoking
(Macniven et al., 2016). Therefore, learned white women understand the health steps to take
when they have the smoking habit. On the other hand, little education makes the aboriginal
women to lack knowledge of the remedies of their condition. I suggest that the Australian
administration should provide quality education to both the indigenous and the majority tribes.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 4
The government can achieve equality in education by constructing schools in all parts of the
country. Quality education improves the lifespan of individuals.
The third social determinant of health among the indigenous communities is employment.
Job security improves the well-being and the health of individuals (Ashman et al., 2016). The
elevated rates of unemployment among the indigenous groups have increased the severity of
illnesses and mortality rates. The unemployed mothers lack sufficient finances to afford food and
cigarette at the same time. Therefore, they use the little money they have to purchase the
cigarette and neglect food. The habit leads to malnutrition for the woman and the unborn child.
Research has shown that hunger is one of the leading causes of premature deaths among the
Aboriginals. The rates of employment are higher in the white majority races than the indigenous
communities. Unemployment brings both financial constraints and psychological difficulties
among those affected (Marmot, 2017). Lack of employment makes victims experience mental
disorders such as stress, depression, and anxiety. The stressful state of lacking a source of
income pushes the women to smoke during critical life stages like pregnancy. The Australian
government should implement policies that enhance industrialization in all parts of the country.
It is my duty as a nurse to ensure that the aboriginal women access employment opportunities.
Employed individuals have better health than the unemployed people.
The fourth factor that influences the health and well-being of the Aboriginals is
Transport. The pregnant aboriginal women who smoke cannot afford the cost of transport to the
health facilities due to the lack of sufficient finances. The women suffer from the effects of their
smoking as they cannot visit the hospital. The government should build health facilities in the
rural areas to eliminate the need to travel to the cities for quality treatment (Kildea et al., 2016). I
plan to request the health stakeholders to ensure that hospitals and caregivers are present at the