Social Determinants of Health in Australia

Running head: HEALTH CARE IN AUSTRALIA
HEALTH CARE IN AUSTRALIA
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1HEALTH CARE IN AUSTRALIA
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.