CNA 151: Health and Healthcare in Australia - Case Study Analysis

This case study examines the life of Carla, a 54-year-old woman, and her struggles within the context of health and healthcare in Australia. The assignment analyzes her socio-demographic characteristics, including lack of education, failed marital status, and temporary employment, along with those of her former husband John and daughter Annie. The study identifies key social determinants of health, such as education level, economic status, and neighborhood, and their impact on the individuals. Focusing on education as a crucial and modifiable determinant, the study explores population-level strategies, like promoting awareness and government investment in education, and the role of healthcare professionals in addressing these challenges through awareness, advocacy, and assistance. The analysis highlights the significance of education in improving health outcomes and calls for effective policies and their implementation.

Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
Assessment Task 2: Case Study
Background of the case study
This case study revolves around the story of Carla and her struggle throughout
her life. This 54-year-old woman is currently a volunteer at RSPCA. The case study
highlights the context of her former husband John together with her children who have
been facing similar socio-economic challenges. This report aims to examine the socio-
demographic characteristics of all the individuals within this case study, together with
the proper identification of key social determinants of health which are evident within the
case study. The thesis statement of this report argues over the selection of one of the
social determinants and discusses the best ways for addressing this challenge in the
context of population level. Exploration of the contribution by healthcare professionals
towards addressing social determinants of health as well as its impact over the
individuals will also be discussed in the report.
Socio-demographic characteristics
Socio demographics can be illustrated as the characteristics of a population.
According to the research data, characteristics like gender, age, educational level,
employment status, location, income as well as ethnicity are being considered as the
social demographic characteristics of an individual (Adler et al. 2016, p. 7). There lie
several index variables that are developed based on social demographic characteristics.
In the context of the case study of Carla, the index variable of the socioeconomic status
of the characters in the case study is the combination of the information related to the
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
education level and income status. The three major characters as explained and
highlighted in the case study are Carla, her former husband John and her daughter
Annie.
The socio-demographic characteristics for Carla include lack of educational
attainment due to illiteracy in her house, failed marital status, temporary employment
status and poor level of income. The socio-demographic characteristics of her former
husband John includes his unemployment status and degrading health status (Donkin
et al. 2018). For her child, Annie, lack of proper education together with the poor income
of her boyfriend Josh, can be considered as the main socio-demographic characteristic.
Throughout the entire case study, the low educational level followed by temporary
employment status and food income status has been portrayed as the major social-
democratic characteristics of all the individuals.
Social determinants of health and their impact on the individuals
Social determinants of health are being referred to as a specific group of
economic and social factors among broader determinants of health of an individual
(Carey & Crammond 2015, p.662). The social determinants are related to individuals'
place in the neighborhood or society, like the factors of employment, the status of
income for education. According to the World Health Organisation, social determinants
of health can be defined as the conditions where people are born, develop, reside, work
and age (Krist, Davidson & Ngo-Metzger, 2019, p.603). These are also the wider set of
systems and forces that shapes the living standard and the conditions of an individual in
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
their daily life. Social determinants of health include systems and force which are linked
to economic systems and policies, developmental agendas, political systems and social
norms. Throughout the support action by the World health organization, sustainable
development goals provide a mandatory and comprehensive framework for the
development of human beings as well as for the systematic address of the social
determinants of health of every individual in the globe.
In light of the case study of Carla, the social determinants of health that are
prevalent throughout the lives of every character in the case study are education level,
economic status, neighbourhood, society and healthcare (Danaei et al. 2017, p. 4).
Social determinants of health for Carla include a low level of education which resulted in
poor income. hindering economic stability. However apart from all the negative socio
social determinants of health of this character, one of the positive factors of Carla is her
friendly neighbourhood. According to the case study, Carla got immense help from her
neighbourhood who shared her child care duties when her children were young.
The social determinants of health for John include his current degrading
economic stability due to the loss of his job, together with the poor health status of
dementia and depression after his head injury. Finally, the social determinants of health
for Annie are the low level of education, unemployment, lack of proper neighbourhood
and environment after moving to the city at a tiny one-room apartment and finally her
degrading health status due to pregnancy which resulted in the development of
gestational diabetes.
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
However, in this study the key social determinants of health that have been
identified and it is thoroughly evident towards the effect over the individuals in the case
study is the level of education.
Education, a social determinant of health, and the impact of education at the
population level
Education is the only essential, modifiable social determinants of health.
According to the research studies, education is not only about the knowledge gathered
in the classroom but also about the doors and the pathways it unlocks towards our
future wellbeing of an individual (Shankar et al. 2013, p.3911). Towards justifying a
population-level strategy to realistic early address this health determinant, one of the
proposed best solution for addressing the issue who is the awareness of the influence
of education over health. It is to know that the building blocks of good health have their
foundation within the emotional and social skills that are learned during early childhood.
It is important for the Government of the country towards initiating proper investment in
education since it equates to the investment in health (Hahn & Truman 2015, p.661).
Provision of medical care at every stage of educational years can help to encourage
and promote the importance of education towards healthy living. School-based
interventions are an essential investment which the government should consider.
Furthermore partnerships with the local schools by public hospitals are some of the
essential ways towards the promotion of better school performance and health
outcomes in line with the knowledge (Flynn, Eggerth & Jacobson Jr, 2015, p.1130).
Education, along with other social determinants of health, plays a very significant role in
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
the overall health and well-being of the population. Hence effective development of
policies together with proper implementation of them over the general public regarding
the fundamental rights of free education is needed (Zimmerman, Woolf & Haley, 2015,
p. 362). This is because education can affect the entire population throughout the
lifetime and has been shown towards increasing and improving healthy behaviors and
health outcomes including awareness towards better employment and income
opportunities.
Contribution of health professionals
Social determinants of health are increasingly essential concepts in a value-
based healthcare system (Michalos 2017, p. 282). Addressing the social determinants
of health will require the health physicians to understand the role of the factors in the
community and individual help as well as strive towards the implementation of public
policies which reaches the major number of people while targeting the daily needs of
individuals (Hale, Bevilacqua & Viner, 2015, p.132). Healthcare professionals can
address by 5 approaches. These are awareness, adjustment, advocacy, assistance,
and alignment, by properly addressing the social determinants of health through the
formation of direct initiatives and investment together with working in a collaborative
pattern, healthcare professionals can help people in several ways beyond the traditional
methods of healthcare services. Effective communication with the individuals regarding
their potential social and economic challenges is one of the basic steps of the
healthcare professionals towards addressing the hidden issues (Mackenbach et al.
2015, p.57). It is important for the public health care professionals to provide free
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
treatment and medicines for individuals under the poverty level as well as aware of the
population regarding the safety rules and tactics they should adopt towards a better
living.
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
References
Adler, NE, Cutler, DM., Jonathan, JE , Galea, S , Glymour, M , Koh, HK & Satcher, D
2016, ‘Addressing social determinants of health and health disparities’, National
Academy of Medicine, pp.1-16.
Carey, G & Crammond, B 2015, ‘Systems change for the social determinants of
health’, BMC public health, 15(1), p.662.
Danaei, M , Palenik, CJ, Abdollahifard, G & Askarian, M 2017, ‘Social determinants of
health and attempt to change unhealthy lifestyle: A population-based
study’, International journal of preventive medicine, 8.
Donkin, A, Goldblatt, P, Allen, J, Nathanson, V & Marmot, M 2018, ‘Global action on the
social determinants of health’, BMJ global health, 3 (Suppl 1), pp.1-7.
Flynn, MA, Eggerth, DE & Jacobson Jr, CJ 2015, ‘Undocumented status as a social
determinant of occupational safety and health: The workers’ perspective’, American
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Hahn, R A & Truman, BI 2015, ‘Education improves public health and promotes health
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Hale, DR, Bevilacqua, L & Viner, RM 2015, ‘Adolescent health and adult education and
employment: a systematic review’, Pediatrics, 136(1), pp.128-140.
Krist, AH, Davidson, KW & Ngo-Metzger, Q 2019, ‘What evidence do we need before
recommending routine screening for social determinants of health?’, American family
physician, 99(10), pp.602-605.
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Arshdeep Dhaliwal Student Id: 543306
Mackenbach, JP, Kulhánová, I, Bopp, M, Deboosere, P, Eikemo, TA., Hoffmann, R,
Kulik, MC, Leinsalu, M, Martikainen, P, Menvielle, G & Regidor, E 2015, ‘Variations in
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Shankar, J, Ip, E, Khalema, E, Couture, J, Tan, S, Zulla, RT & Lam, G 2013, ‘Education
as a social determinant of health: issues facing indigenous and visible minority students
in postsecondary education in western Canada’, International journal of environmental
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