PUBH630: Determinants of Health - A Reflective Account on Practice

This reflective essay delves into the determinants of health from the perspective of a public health officer, examining how these factors influence both past practices and future approaches in the field. The author reflects on prior knowledge and experiences, particularly concerning the role of environment, socioeconomic status, education, and political stability in shaping community health. The essay highlights the importance of understanding built environments, urbanization, and the interconnectedness of education, income, and health. It emphasizes the need for public health officers to advocate for health equity and address social determinants to improve community well-being. The reflection underscores the significance of continuous learning and adaptation to meet the evolving challenges in public health, ultimately aiming to enhance the safety and health outcomes of diverse populations.

Practice reflection on Determinants of Health
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Introduction
Communities are at risk of different health problems. It is therefore important that is
someone who is responsible of protecting the safety and improving the health status of people.
This can be achieved through education, implementing different policies and finally conducting
research for different diseases and injury prevention (Mashford-Pringle, 2016). All this
constitutes what is known as public health and the individual doing all that is known as a public
health officer. Determinants of health are different factors that influence or determine the health
of communities and people. As a public health officer, it is imperative to comprehend the
different determinants of health since they form the basis of addressing health problems within
the public domain. Within the framework of this essay, there will be a personal reflection on the
determinants of health and how they relate to past practice and existing knowledge and how they
influence future practice.
How it relates to past practice and existing knowledge/skills
Previously, I knew that the environment plays a crucial role in defining the health of
an individual. If for example an individual stays close to a source of pollution, he/she is likely
to be at risk of different infections (Lankarani et al., 2016). Furthermore, I also know that if an
individual is working or is financially stable, he/she is likely to have better health as
compared to those who don’t work since they are able to seek medical attention and is also
able to eat a good diet that is essential for good health. From the experience I have, education
is an important tool in achieving quality healthcare (Taylor et al., 2016). Studies note that
education ensures that individuals are empowered and have the necessary knowledge to
protect themselves against different conditions like diabetes. In this unit, I have as well learnt
about the influence of education on health and safety of communities. According to studies,
political stability positively improves the health status of the communities (Dupas & Miguel,
2017). This is due to the fact that citizens can move freely from different parts of the country
to get the desired medical attention. I also knew that there exists a big gap in health between
the indigenous and the non-indigenous Australians. However, I didn’t comprehend the
foundation of the disparities. This unit has however empowered me since I can explain the
origin of the disparities in healthcare between the two groups. This unit has further explained

the role of politics in public health. This unit has therefore. This unit has therefore bolstered
my knowledge as a public health officer.
How they believe it will inform their future practice and support them in meeting
relevant competency standards
In this unit or course, I have learnt valuable lessons that will inform my future practice
and support me in meeting relevant competency standards. In Lecture 7 about Built
environments, urbanization and health, I learnt that the environment we live in that is created by
human beings play a role in the health status and well-being of an individual. One thing that
came out in this topic was an increasing influx of communities in urban centers. It was projected
that by 2050, 75% of the population will be in urban centers and this will pose a great challenge
and risk to public health (De Andrade et al., 2015). This topic is vital and important to my future
practice as it encourages me as a public health officer to conduct further research and come up
with effective strategies to ensure that communities living in urban centers are safe. This
includes proper planning of the urban centers such as setting up industries away from human
dwellings so that they are not at risk of pollution which is a threat to public health.
In lecture 5, I learnt about the relationship between education, income and health. I learnt
that individuals who are well educated are likely to be healthier as compared to those who are
not educated. This is also the same case with income (Compton & Shim, 2015). In future, I will
supposed to come up with strategies to prevent the community against diseases and improve their
safety. What this basically means to me is that I should start by addressing education and income
before addressing the particular health problem (Beck et al., 2016). I will therefore advocate for
education which will lead to employment and generate income. This will eventually lower the
risk of infections within communities. I have also learnt that public health officer should
advocate for equity in healthcare. I will therefore ensure that all individuals have equal chances
or access to necessary facilities such as schools, health care facilities and employment (Adler,
2016). This will make it easier to improve their health and well-being. Furthermore, I would
advocate for political stability since a stable government is associated with good health and
safety outcomes among different communities.
Conclusion

The core role of a public health officer is to protect the public against infections. This
would not be possible if they don’t understand the different factors (determinants of health) that
influence health within the communities. This unit has therefore been very important since I has
enabled me to comprehend the determinants of health and will have a great influence on my
future practice as a public health officer. I feel am now ready to venture into practice and protect
the public and improve their safety against different health problems.

References
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