Social, Behavioural and Cultural Factors in Public Health

This report analyses the pattern of heart disease in women in Australia and how social determinants of health impact morbidity and mortality. It also discusses public health interventions to address social gradients of health and other sectors involved in preventing illness.

Social, Behavioural and Cultural Factors in
Public Health

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Pattern of heart disease in women’s in Australia.......................................................................2
Social determinants are used to explain the patterns of morbidity and mortality..................2
Public health intervention that addresses a social determinant of health...............................3
Addressing social gradient of health through public health intervention..................................3
Other sectors involved aside from the health sector..................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
In this report the limelight is thrown on the entire social, behavioural and cultural
factors in public health. The health issues in the society arise due to inequalities among
people on the basis of gender, age, and culture and socio economic status. It is important to
remove the inequalities from the society that can be due to lack of education or poor health
conditions (Constitution of who, 2017). In this report health illness is considered. Thus
pattern of heart disease in Australia among women’s are analysed. The social determinants of
health are used to explain the patterns of morbidity and mortality for heart disease among
women’s. There are several public health interventions that are addressed in this report.
Along with the social gradient of health other sectors that are involved aside from the health
sector are listed. Thus this report throws the light on the women’s and health diseases that
propagates in the country.
Pattern of heart disease in women’s in Australia
In Australia women’s are facing cardiovascular disease due to various reasons. The
mortality and morbidity rate, smoking and alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity,
poor diet, high blood pressure, diabetes and mental health is the reason of heart disease
among women in Australia. The death of people due to health disease is over the age of 35
years (Ahmrc, 2017). Women’s are prone to health disease due to low income earners and
lack of education. Women’s generally face health disease due to high stress and depression in
their life, according to the survey in Australia it can be stated that heart failures are seen more
among women rather than men. A factor that contributes in heart failure is their age and
family background. There are some social factors like education, income and family history
that lead to heart disease among women (Liu, Hall, Xu, Mishra & Byles, 2018). Other than
that pattern like the lifestyle in which they live affects the heart disease. Mostly women are
neglected and their health issues are not given much importance, thus it is important to design
policies so that heart disease is reduced in Australia.
Social determinants are used to explain the patterns of morbidity and
mortality
Heart disease leads to pattern of morbidity and mortality among women as they are
often left under-diagnosed. The poor management of medical treatment is one of the reasons
of increasing the heart disease (Liu, Hall, Xu, Mishra & Byles, 2018). It is the power if
social environment in which a person live and work. The social determinates are seen as a
power of income and resources that are available as it impacts the social context of health. It
arises due to inequalities in the society that affects the heath. It arises due to difference in age
group, status, gender inequality, unemployment and lifestyle (Stoddart & Evans, 2017).
These are the reason behind poor health conditions in Australia. To remove the inequalities
social gradient need to be reduced from the society this could be done by maintaining
equality. The inequalities in health can be due to poverty, education and poor health care

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(Mihrshahi, Dobson & Mishra, 2015). Inequalities are basically injustice and need to be
removed as it affects the morbidity and mortality rate of women.
Community Health and Disease Prevention is an area that covers the part of
surveying, advancing and preventing the illness. This helps in enhancing the wellbeing states
of the nation (Betancourt,et. al, 2016). They address all the exercises like physical exercises,
human services and transmission of infection. Along these lines the effect of social,
ecological and conduct factors on the wellbeing of various populaces is talked about (Dontje,
et. al, 2016). A wellbeing imbalance is additionally expanding with time hence the real social,
financial, political and social powers that add to wellbeing disparities. The social variables
incorporate the class, culture and financial foundation. The social financial factor shows less
than stellar eating routine or unfortunate way of life (Thornton, Glover, Cené, Glik,
Henderson & Williams, 2016). The reason of social determinates incorporate social
standards, absence of assets like instructive and human services offices. Social monetary
conditions like destitution increment illness as there is no medicinal treatment accessible.
Public health intervention that addresses a social determinant of health
Social determinant of health can be improved by public intervention. The health of
patient is affected by the personal behaviour and other behaviour includes consumption of
Tabaco, lack of nutrient diet and exercise (Kurup, Sommerfeld & Blas, 2017). The personal
behaviour of a person can be improved by launching various programs that will help patient
to quit smoking and stay healthy. Apart from personal behaviour there are various social
behaviours that impact the heart disease of a person (Thornton, Glover, Cené, Glik,
Henderson & Williams, 2016). Public intervention that is used for betterment that can be
achieved by work, removing unemployment, social support, transport, housing, education and
providing proper access to healthcare. Removing unemployment will remove stress and
depression from the life of women as they will get power in the society. Apart from that
social support can make a person feel healthy. Education is one of the public health
interventions that improves the social determinant and also improves the awareness about the
illness (Droomers, Harting, Jongeneel, Rutten, van Kats & Stronks, 2014). Proving proper
access to health care to health care will remove the chances of severe illness.
Addressing social gradient of health through public health
intervention
The social gradient of health is addressed by designing policies that will take care of
all the social factors. I would have taken care of all the policies by checking it on the basis of
evidence based on public design policy. The implementation of the policies is done to reach
to the target audience and remove the consequences of heart illness. The policies are
monitored and evaluated regularly (Droomers, Harting, Jongeneel, Rutten, van Kats &
Stronks, 2014). The social gradient can be addressed by promoting all the precaution and
activities in the public sector and in community. It is provided that patients should consume
healthy food daily that will have positive effect on their illness (Castañeda, et. al, 2015). The

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equality of health is captured by removing all the difficult circumstances from life of an
individual. Public health promotion can be done by promoting education among women’s so
that they know the symptoms and measures to cure the illness (Castañeda, et. al, 2015). The
ratio of unemployment also needs to be removed so that depression is reduced. As one of the
reason of heart disease is stress level.
Other sectors involved aside from the health sector
Health sector is not the sole reason for preventing the illness. It is important but there
are various other sectors that re required. The culture and the environment in which an
individual is living also affect the health status. Thus it is important to remove all the
discrimination and inequalities from the society (Eldredge, Markham, Ruiter, Kok & Parcel,
2016). Other than there are people having low income for them certain NGO services are
opened so that they can take benefits regarding the health service. Educational setting can
also help in improving the health of an individual. Other factors involve minimizing the
hypertension and renal dysfunction. This could be done by opening e-health centre so that
patients can directly communicate with the expertise. Actions are undertaken to create
awareness so that all the heart healthy changes are integrate in the mind of people (Eldredge,
Markham, Ruiter, Kok & Parcel, 2016). The communication skills and improved networking
can help patients to live happily. The funding communities re also introduced so that the gap
between taking treatment could be removed.

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Conclusion
It can be concluded that in Australia the health illness is increasing day by day among
women. It is commonly seen in women after the age group of 35 years. There are various
social determinants that increase heart illness that can be due to high stress level or
depression. The inequalities and discrimination in the society is main reason of health illness.
This could be improved by undertaking some public health intervention. The social gradients
are addressed by designing policies and proper health care facilities. The unemployment
ratio, lack of social support, poor housing and living standard, lack of education and access to
healthcare can be used to prevent the cause of illness.

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References
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