Social Determinants of Health and Indigenous Health Determinants in Australia

Running head: HEALTH CARE
Essay topic: Outline the theory of the social determinants of health. Choose one or more
‘Indigenous health determinants’ and explain how they contribute to poor Indigenous health
status.
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

1HEALTH CARE
The prevalence of gaps in health outcome and health status of indigenous people in
Australia is a longstanding challenge for Australian government. It has been identified by United
Nations Committees as a human rights issue because of inequalities and impact of systematic
discrimination on the health of the indigenous group (Fisher et al., 2019). The theory of social
determinants acknowledges that many interconnected social factors affect population health and
inequity (Sallis, Owen & Fisher, 2015). Understanding of the theory of the social determinants of
health (SDOH) and its links with indigenous health determinant is necessary to understand the
influence of inequalities in health determinants on their health outcomes. The main aim of this
essay is to review one or two of the indigenous health determinants and discuss the impact of
these factors on indigenous health status.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, SDOH is defined as the
condition in which people are born and live that impact their health. These conditions include
intangible factors like political, socioeconomic and cultural constructs. It includes access to
education, availability of healthy food and safe environmental conditions (WHO, 2019).
Currently public health practitioners and policy makers are actively considering the determinants
of health factor to analyse population health and consider approaches to improve health, address
health inequalities and accelerate health outcomes. The significance of implementing actions
informed by the social determinants is that such decisions are made based on understanding of
dynamic interaction between environment, socioeconomic and environmental determinant of
health (Dean, William & Fenton, 2013). Hence, it is imperative that policy makers and program
developed put major emphasis on assessing the broader influence of SDOH on health outcome to
maintain health equity and excellence in disease control. This essay furthers looks at the key
indigenous determinants of health and how it affects their health status.
The data by WHO (2018) shows vast disparities between health of Australia’s indigenous
Aboriginals and the rest of the population. Currently, the government is focusing on the social
problems that undermine their communities to improve health outcomes of the indigenous
population. Important indigenous determinants that have resulted in health inequality for
indigenous Australians include poor socioeconomic status, lack of access to primary health care
and health infrastructure, unemployment issue and greater risk of exposure to environmental and
behavioural risk factors (Fisher et al., 2019). Factors like housing, employment condition,

2HEALTH CARE
education and distribution of power and resources adversely affect physical as well as mental
health of the group. In case of Aboriginal Australian people, all the above factors are social
determinants of indigenous health. History of racism and colonization underpin disparities in
each area of SDOH for the groups too. To understand the extent to which SDOH factors affect
indigenous health, the essay will discuss in detail about the impact of poor housing and
socioeconomic status (SES) on health status of indigenous population.
The extent to which SDOH factors affects overall health and well being of indigenous
Australians is understood from the report by AIHW, which states that 64% of the total burden of
chronic disease in Aboriginal group is due to chronic disease and 39% of the gap between
indigenous and non-indigenous health outcomes can be explained by social determinants
(AIHW, 2017). Socioeconomic disadvantage is one major risk factor of poor health outcomes in
Indigenous Aboriginals. This socioeconomic disadvantage has emerged following history of
colonisation and discrimination of the group in Australia. The history of forced resettlement
resulted in loss of land and culture for aboriginal people and reduced opportunities for
employment in new regions. They have faced profound marginalization over the years that
affected their SES and contributed to poor health outcomes (Shepherd, Li & Zubrick, 2012).
SES is the reason for high prevalence of diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders. The statistics by AIHW (2019) revealed that burden of diabetes is high for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders as they experience disproportionately high level of diabetes and death
rate was two times high in remote areas. The disparities in diabetes outcome between indigenous
and non-indigenous population of Australia is evidenced from the data that in 2012-2013,
prevalence of diabetes was three times more likely in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people compared to non-indigenous group. It became the second leading cause of death in the
group in 2013. Health inequality in this area is influenced by social and historical determinants
of health. Firstly, the arrivals of Europeans led to major changes in their lifestyle as their cultural
practices and resources were lost. In addition, they developed westernized lifestyle contributing
to risk of diabetes, (Burrow & Ride, 2016). In contemporary world, social conditions and
economic opportunities significantly influence health outcome for the group. However,
indigenous Australians have experienced substantial disadvantage in all areas such as housing,
income, employment and access to services resulting in poor diabetes outcome (Hill et al., 2017).