Social Determinants of Health Report 2022

Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 1
Social Determinants of Health
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SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 2
Social Determinant of Health for Low socioeconomic status in Australia
Introduction
Heart disease is an umbrella used in denoting the number of pathologies, also known as
cardiovascular diseases. Common pathologies under cardiovascular diseases include rheumatic,
congenital heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular. Cardiovascular disease
accounts for approximately 31% of mortality worldwide (AIoHa,2016). Several risk aspects are
linked to a significant proportion of heart disease risk. These risk factors include smoking,
hypertension, diabetes, family history and lack of physical activities. The high number of
individuals affected by the heart disease was recently recorded from the developing the countries
(Mak, Clark, Poulsen, Udengaard & Gilbert, 2012).
Therefore, this report will focus on low socioeconomic status since it has been consistently
associated with heart disease mortality and morbidity. Later, this report shall provide a proposal
of public health intervention that will address the social determinant health for the low
socioeconomic status in Australia
Section 1: Social determinants of Heart disease for Low socioeconomic status in Australia The burden of heart disease within the Low socioeconomic status in Australia
Mortality
According to Moodie, Tolhurst & Martin (2016), the high deaths are recorded in the low
socioeconomic status population residing outside the major cities. The high mortality can be
attributed to optimal access to health facilities, harsh environment and difficulties in sourcing
fresh meals. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is the population that has been mainly
affected and relatively isolated in Australia. The mortality rate for Heart disease accounts for

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 3
47,637 of deaths that occurred in 2004. Heart disease has been identified as one of the major
causes of premature deaths in the state of Australia. Ischaemic and cerebrovascular contributes to
the highest number of deaths that happened in the year 2004. In the year 2004, the Ischaemic
heart disease accounted for approximately 19% of male deaths and 18% for the female deaths.
Stroke is the second largest cause of heart disease deaths since the year 1968, accounting for 7%
for males and 11% for the females in 2004 (Huang, Barnett, Wang & Tong, 2012).
Prevalence
Approximately 12% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in Australia reported
having the heart disease from the year 2004 to 2005. The most common heart disease among
them was hypertension which accounted for 22% of the 35 years and above individuals. The
proportion is continually increasing for the 45-54 aged people. Woodruffe et al (2015), states that
within ten years, the condition of the heart disease has tremendously increased for the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders when compared to that of non-indigenous people.
 Discuss how the social determinants of health can explain the burden of heart disease
within the Low socioeconomic status in Australia
The social conditions where people live, work or are born contributes significantly in
determining their wellbeing. Stringhini et al (2017) state that 20% of living in Australian low
socioeconomic zones in 2014 to 2015 was likely to have the heart disease. The research
conducted by (Braveman, Egerter & Williams, 2011) showed that cultural, social, political and
economic conditions have contributed to identifying social determinant of wellbeing. This
section will only focus on two key social determinants which have the burden of the heart
disease in the low socioeconomic status; the social gradient and health inequities.