Determinants of Health: Health Inequalities in the UK - [Course Name]

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of health, exploring the biological, social, and environmental factors that influence individual and community well-being. The report delves into the specific impacts of diet, smoking, and physical exercise on health outcomes, referencing UK government guidelines and statistics. It examines health inequalities, highlighting disparities in life expectancy and access to resources based on socioeconomic factors. The report further discusses major health promotion theories and models, including behavioral, materialist, and life-course models, to explain the complex interplay of factors contributing to health outcomes. Ultimately, the assignment provides a detailed overview of health determinants and their implications for public health, drawing on data and insights from the UK context and health promotion theories.

Project
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Background......................................................................................................................................1
Definition of determinants of health.......................................................................................1
Overview of Broad Types of determinants............................................................................1
Health inequalities and equity................................................................................................2
Main body of Essay.........................................................................................................................2
Discussion on three main health determinants.......................................................................3
Statistic showing social and health inequalities in UK..........................................................4
Major health promotion theories and model..........................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Determinants of Health mainly represent and consist of the range of various factors that
create impact on health of an individuals or community (Adler, Glymour and Fielding, 2016).
The current assignment is based on the determinants of heath and includes a detailed discussion
about various types of heath determinants that include biological, social and environmental
determinants of health. Further, a description about health inequalities and equity is also there
along with discussion on three main health determinants i.e. diet, smoking and physical exercise.
Beside this, an evaluation of statistic showing social and health inequalities in UK is also
included in current essay along with Major health promotion theories and model.
Background
Definition of determinants of health
Determinants of Health basically represent the range of various factors that have
significant influence and impact in health of an individuals or community. The heath of an
individual or society is mainly determined and affected by the complex interaction between all
the social, economical and other physical factors that exists in the nearby environment of
individuals and also have impact on behaviour and overall health prcatises (Sharma, Pinto and
Kumagai, 2018). The main factors includes in the determinants of health consists of income and
social status, education and literacy level, employment and working conditions along with
overall social and physical environments that have direct and indirect impact on personal health
practices and behaviour of an individuals and community.
Overview of Broad Types of determinants
Health determinants are broadly divided into three main categories an overview and
discussion about which is provided below:
Biological- The biological factors or determinants mainly consists of age and genetic
factors of an individual like sex, lifespan, skills, personal habits and competencies that have
direct impact on health of an individuals. Biological determinants includes inheritance and living
span of an individual’s that consist of personal behaviour and coping skills like balanced eating,
smoking and drinking habits along with ways of dealing with life’s stresses and challenges all
that have a significant affect on health (Medvedyuk, Ali and Raphael, 2018).
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Social- The main components included in social determinants are social support network
and social status of an individuals. The health of an individuals and community is also highly
affected by the it’s income level and it has been also seen that greater the gap between the richest
and poorest people in the society, the more would be the differences in health. Further, a greater
support from families, friends and overall communities would lead to better health.
Environmental- This determinant mainly consist of physical factors that have significant
affect on health of an individual and community. It consist of availability of safe water, clean air,
healthy workplaces, nutritious food, communities and roads that all have a significant
contribution for having good health of an individual. Beside this, the employment and working
conditions of people are also from part of environmental determinants of heath that have
significant impact and influence on health of an individual (Boutayeb, 2020).
Health inequalities and equity
The concept of health equity is mainly associated with providing equal rights and health
opportunities to all individuals and communities irrespective of their income status and cultural
background. On contrary, Health inequalities mainly indicate the unjust behaviour and large
level of avoidable differences in treatment and check up of people's health across the diversified
population and between specific population groups. Inequalities by other socioeconomic
characteristics are explored in more depth in the report Public Health Outcomes Framework:
health equity report, focus on ethnicity which presents analysis and commentary on inequalities
for 18 indicators from the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) (Inequality in health,
2020). Health inequalities that represent the differences in health between people or groups of
people is considered unfair. But still a social gradient in lifespan is seen in various parts of UK,
as people living in the most deprived areas in England have on average the lowest life
expectancy and conversely, life expectancy is higher on average for those living in areas with
lower deprivation(Inequality in health, 2020).
Main body of Essay
Health determinants manly reflect the main factors and elements that have significant impact
on health of an individual and community. These determinants of health are broadly classified
into three main parts i.e. biological, social and environmental which consists of all relevant
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health factors of an individuals and community. Out of these health determinants the main
determinants selected for current essay writing consists of diet, smoking and physical exercise.
Discussion on three main health determinants
Diet basically represents the sum total of all the food and ingredients consumed by a
person during a day or any specific period of time. A Complete and proper nutritious diet is one
that consists all required ingestion and proper consumption and absorption of vitamins, minerals
and other essential amino acids from protein along with essential fatty acids from fat-containing
food that are necessary and called as food energy in the form of carbohydrate, protein, and fat.
Diet is the main health determinant that have most significant affect on health of an individual
and community (Williams, Rhodes and Conner, 2018). Various parameters are set by
government of UK and WHO to determine that whether a significant amount of food and
nutritious diet is being consumed by an individual or not. United kingdom has published its first
set of dietary guidelines in the year 1994, and since from that time they have been regularly
updated these guidelines to ensure proper consumption of food by people and community. The
national food guide of UK is commonly known as ‘The Balance of Good Health’, which was
launched in 1994 (Food-based dietary guidelines, 2020). The main point of this guideline issued
by government of UK as a key nutrition policy tool for health professionals and others in order to
improve dietary health consists of 5 food groups which shows the proportion that each food
group should have in order to ensure a healthy balanced diet. The other guidelines provided by
government of UK to ensures healthy diet for all individuals and community includes eat at least
5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day along with a base meal that consist of
potatoes, bread, rice, other starchy carbohydrates along with some dairy products and some
beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins to have a good and nutritious diet plan (Spoel,
and et.al., 2019). It has been also observed that an inequity is also seen in UK regarding the diet
of community as the diet of richer person and more stable and nutritious as compared to lower
section of society (Food-based dietary guidelines, 2020). That created a significant impact on
health of individuals and community belongs to different social parameters according to their
daily diet plans.
Smoking basically represent the act and habit of inhaling and exhaling the fumes and
unhealthy smoke of burning plant material which is commonly associated with tobacco and
consists of smoked in a cigarette, cigar, or pipe (Marmot, 2018). Smoking is very injurious and
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dangerous for health of an individaus as well as for whole communicaty as it causes serious
damage to and cause coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma. Apart from this, various fatal diseases
like pneumonia, emphysema and lung cancer are also caused by the habit of Smoking. Further, it
has also been observed that regular smoking habits could also causes deaths out of which 84%
are caused because of lung cancer and 83% of deaths are due to chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (2010 to 2015 government policy: smoking, 2016). Thus, it can be evaluated that
smoking is dangerous for health of both individuals and community and is a wrong habit that
affects the heath of whole community. Smoking is also a big health issues in UK which cause
many deaths every year thus, many strict actions and policies are lead by government of UK to
keep a check on smoking habits. Advertising of Tobacco products is completely banned in UK
and also high taxes are levied on its consumption in order to reduce the case of health issues
caused by Smoking in UK. Many anti-smoking campaigns are also lead by local and national
government to encourage people and community to change their behaviours and making them
aware about heath danger that is caused by smoking (Palacios, 2016).
Physical exercise mainly includes all king of bodily activity that are able and lead to
enhanced fitness level and maintains physical health and wellness of an individuals. The main
positive impact physical exercise includes the fact that frequent and regular physical exercise is
able to boosts the immune system and helps in preventing the diseases of affluence that consist
of some most fatal diseases like heart disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetic, etc
(Medvedyuk, Ali and Raphael, 2018). Further, it has been also observed that regular physical
exercise also lead to in the parts of the brain that is helpful in regulating stress and anxiety of an
individual’s thus lead to a positive impact on health of individuals and overall community. Many
steps has been taken by government of UK to promote physical exercise in order to make its
people and community more healthy that consists of PHE’s ‘Everybody active, every day’
framework to embed and encourage physical activity into daily life of people and community of
UK to support a range of interventions (Physical activity: applying All Our Health, 2020).
Statistic showing social and health inequalities in UK
Social class inequalities are most commonly seen in heath of individuals and community in
the UK that persist at every age and for all the major diseases. An analysis made of health
outcomes in England for the Global Burden of Disease study has reflected that males living in
the most deprived and outermost region of England in 2013 had a life expectancy 8.2 years
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which is shorter than those living in the least deprived region, which was as large a difference as
seen in 1990 (Sharma, Pinto and Kumagai, 2018). Life expectancy for women living in the most
deprived region in 2013 was 6.9 years shorter than for those in the least deprived region, an
improvement since 1990 when the difference was 7.2 years (Inequality in health, 2020).
Major health promotion theories and model
There are various health promotion theories and models that clearly depicts and provide
information about social class inequalities in health. The first health theory consists of
Behavioural model that emphasis on social class differences in health that is damaging or health
promoting behaviours which consist dietary choices, consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco,
active leisure time pursuits, and use of immunisation, contraception and antenatal services
(Adler, Glymour and Fielding, 2016). The second health promotion model consists of
Materialist model that is basically associated with the fact that disadvantaged people are more
likely to live in areas where they are exposed to harm such as air-pollution and damp housing
which lead to higher rates of childhood respiratory disease and other health inequalities in poor
section of society and community (Inequalities in health (e.g. by region, ethnicity, soci-
economic position or gender) and in access to health care, including their causes, 2020). The
another important model of heath is Life-course model that basically associated with the fact that
health of an individuals or community basically reflects the patterns of social, psycho-social and
biological advantages and disadvantages that is experienced by an individual over time and
during its life span. Thus, it has been observed that the one who have proper diet and
consumption of nutrition along with regular physical exercise and more healthy than other
individuals who miss out a healthy diet and proper nutrition.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above easy it can be concluded that various type of heath determinants are
there which consist of main factors creating impact on health of an individuals and community.
Heath determinants are broadly classified into three types i.e. Biological, social and
environmental. Diet is important hearth determinates that is necessary to generate energy and
remain healthier. Smoking is injurious to heath and even causes death. Physical exercise is a
good habit that keeps an individuals healthy and away from many diseases. Furthers, it can be
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summarised that high level of inequalities in seen in health of individuals and diversified
community.
On the basis of above essay it could be recommended that one should in take healthy and
nutritious diet to reaming strung and enhance their immune system. Further, staying away from
smoking is also recommended along with regular physical exercise.
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REFERENCES
Books and journal
Adler, N. E., Glymour, M. M. and Fielding, J., 2016. Addressing social determinants of health
and health inequalities. Jama. 316(16). pp.1641-1642.
Boutayeb, A., 2020. Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity in the WHO African
Region. In Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Developing Countries (pp. 11-
28). Springer, Cham.
Marmot, M., 2018. Health equity, cancer, and social determinants of health. The Lancet Global
Health, 6, p.S29.
Medvedyuk, S., Ali, A. and Raphael, D., 2018. Ideology, obesity and the social determinants of
health: a critical analysis of the obesity and health relationship. Critical Public Health.
28(5). pp.573-585.
Palacios, C. F., 2016. The impact of social determinants of health on hospital readmissions.
Temple University.
Sharma, M., Pinto, A. D. and Kumagai, A. K., 2018. Teaching the social determinants of health:
a path to equity or a road to nowhere?. Academic medicine. 93(1). pp.25-30.
Spoel, E., and et.al., 2019. Migrants’ social determinants of health: living conditions, violence
exposure, access to healthcare: Estelle Spoel. European Journal of Public Health,
29(Supplement_4), pp.ckz186-034.
Williams, D. M., Rhodes, R. E. and Conner, M. T. eds., 2018. Affective determinants of health
behavior. Oxford University Press.
Online:
Inequality in health. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-profile-for-england/chapter-5-
inequality-in-health>.
Food-based dietary guidelines. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/united-
kingdom/en/ >.
2010 to 2015 government policy: smoking. 2016. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-
smoking/2010-to-2015-government-policy-smoking >.
Physical activity: applying All Our Health. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-applying-all-our-health/
physical-activity-applying-all-our-health>.
Inequalities in health (e.g. by region, ethnicity, soci-economic position or gender) and in access
to health care, including their causes. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy-
economics/4c-equality-equity-policy/inequalities-distribution >.
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