Social Determinants of Health in Australia

This article discusses the social determinants of health in Australia and their impact on individuals and the population. It explores the characteristics of individuals in a case study and identifies key factors such as family support, quality of education, and health conditions. The article also suggests strategies to address these issues and highlights the role of health professionals in addressing social determinants of health.

Running head: HEALTH CARE IN AUSTRALIA
HEALTH CARE IN AUSTRALIA
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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1. What are the characteristics of the individuals in the case study?
Carla is a woman of 54 years and was born in a minor coastal mining city. She was
raised up by her aunt as her parents deceased when she was very young. She fought a lot
in school as her aunt was not literate. Carla got married to John in her late teens and was a
mother of two children when she was 21 years. She got divorced just after she gave birth
to her second child and was now a single mother with all the responsibilities of her
children.
John after the divorce, helped Carla financially but after few years he lost his job as
the mine he was working remained closed. After which he worked as a casual employee
and grieved from a head injury. But as he was concerned about his work, so did not
proceed for any kind of treatment. because of his head injury he suffered from depression
and become forgetful. This defines John as a person with caring attitude and a motivated
person. He did not quit from his responsibilities he had for his children and was motivated
towards his work, as despite of his injury, he kept working.
Carla despite of being divorced, takes proper care of John in the time of need. It
makes her a person with kind heart and a very strong person. She starts working in
grocery and retail positions in the town to take care of her children and his ex-husband.
She is a very hard working person and a devoted mother, she worked in various places
just to take care of her children.
Her children, Robbie and Annie moved out for employment after they grew up. They
were not well in education. Robbie had qualification till12 grades. And Annie is living
with his boyfriend Josh who works in the day time and studies in school in the evening.
Annie is pregnant and is suffering from gestational diabetes. And because of Annie’s

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problem Carla is working with more effort and Josh is planning to quit school to be with
her.
2. What are the social determinations of health that are evident in the case
study?
The social determinants of health are situations in the surroundings in which
people are born, living, learning, working and age which affect an extensive array of
health, working, and the quality life conclusions and threats (Garg et al. 2015).
The social determinations that apply in the case study of Carla are:
 Family support
 Quality of education
 Family segregation
 Health condition
 Physical barrier such as disability
 Socioeconomic condition (Garg, Boynton-Jarrett and Dworkin 2016).
These determinations have a major effect on the health and welfare of the individuals
in the provided case study
 Family support: Carla lost her parent at a very early age and had to face
various emotional and social challenges which she might not have witnessed if
her parent were alive.
 Quality of education: after her parent’s death, she started living with her aunt,
and she faced educational challenges in school because there was no one to
guide her in her studies as her aunt was not able to read.

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 Family segregation: she got married at her late teenage and had two children
when she was 21, and after her second child was born, she got divorced by
John and she witnessed family segregation.
 Health condition: John suffered from some head injury as he was working as a
casual employee after the mine he was working in got closed. And because of
the injury he suffered from forgetful and depression. Then after her daughter
grew up and was pregnant, she was suffering from gestational diabetes.
 Physical barrier such as disability: after John’s head injury, he was no abler to
work. His injury became a physical barrier for him.
 Socioeconomic condition: after the mine in which John was working got shut
down, he had no other work to do, so he started working as a casual employee
with not a good wage, but after his injury, he was no more able to work. Carla
started working in grocery and retail shops to take care of her children and
John, but got a very little amount of money. This effected the living of Carla
and her family.
These social determinants have an influence in the health of Carla and her family.
John losing his job created a major impact on his family and on his health. if he
did not lose his job or did not face any income issues, he might have opted for
seeing a doctor for his injury, then he may not have faced such depression. If John
wouldn’t have faced any physical barrier, his family would have never faced the
socioeconomic issues. Carla could have focused on her children more so that they
do better in life, but as she was busy earing for her family, so gave less focus on
them.

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3. Select one of these social determinants and describe the best ways to address
this issues in order to have an impact on the whole population?
One of the major significant of social determinants is health condition and it has a
major impact on the whole population. One must care about their good health as it’s very
essential if people, civilization and the economy are to increase (Adler, Glymour and
Fielding 2016).
Identify Key Factors. By means of evidence-based valuations to monitor everyone for
health requirements, economic and accommodation concerns, violence and disturbance
matters, and other issues is measured as population health exercise. This information
contributes health schemes an understanding of the problems upsetting the people. By
airing all the individuals will offer an improved information about the community health
in their areas (Baker et al. 2018).
Develop Measurable Strategies. Once evidence is analysed, a proper strategy to
influence the causes needs to be established. These approaches need to comprise how the
properties will be dignified. Some financiers that have recognized recipients with food
uncertainties connected all these recipients to the food banks and the nutritional help
plans for which they be suitable (de Andrade et al. 2015).
Socialize Successes and Challenges. Most of the social determinants occur external of
the health system fortifications; sharing the outcomes of the SDOH strategies with people
and the community reveals a commitment to overall public health (Thornton et al. 2016).
Focusing on these strategies could have helped Carla and her family to lead a better
quality life. John could have received a better treatment and a job so that he could take
care of his family. Even Annie can receive a better heal care facility so that she can treat

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her disease and her child can also have secured health condition (Adler, Glymour and
Fielding 2016).
What roles should health professionals play in addressing this issue?
The health professionals and nurses have a major character in addressing the social
determinants of health, as they are the key part of the healthcare system. The professionals
and nurses not only provide treatment to diseases but also helps in addressing various other
issues which may affect people’s health condition (Northwood et al. 2018). To outclass in
people health management, an association should understand how people characteristics and
appropriate factors, exterior to the healthcare delivery process, influence a population’s
health (Naz et al. 2016) Nursing serves a central role in the population health management
process. One of the major role of nurses in planning, operationalize and calculate the impact
of these plans of healthcare. It makes logic, then, that treatment providers and professionals
should play a major role in understanding the social determinants of the health at the
individual, public and inhabitants level. Concluded their communication and support for
patients, professionals pay to outcomes and people health management consequences
(Trudel-Fitzgerald et al. 2016)

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