PUBH630: Determinants of Health Knowledge and Practice Reflection

This assignment is a reflective piece on the determinants of health, completed as part of the PUBH630 course. The author reflects on their existing knowledge and skills before the course, highlighting how the lectures and readings expanded their understanding of various health determinants, particularly among Indigenous populations in Australia. The reflection covers social, biological, behavioral, gender, and environmental determinants, and their impact on health disparities. The author also discusses the role of transnational companies and health risk behaviors. Furthermore, the assignment explores how the knowledge gained will influence future public health practice, including policy development, sustainability practices, and resource allocation. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of this knowledge for addressing health disparities and promoting equitable health outcomes.

Running Head: DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Determinants of Health
Name
Institution

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Determinants of Health
Introduction
Having successfully completed the on PUBH630 as a whole on determinants of health, I
should admit that I have gained multiple knowledge and skills regarding the content. I have come
across different determinants of health regarding the different populations, especially among the
Indigenous people. Originally, I did not sufficient understanding of the different determinants of
health that affects people in different settings because of the lack of exposure. However,
following the exposure to lectures and extensive reading, I should say that I learned a great deal
and gained more understanding on the determinants of health in the modern society in Australia
(Fisher, Battams, Mcdermott, Baum & Macdougall, 2019).
Past Practice and Existing Knowledge/Skills
The content of the lectures improved my knowledge and understanding concerning the
determinants of health of different populations. However, upon completing the lectures of on
PUBH630, I have gained great knowledge and develop more knowledge on the determinants of
health among the Indigenous people, especially the Aboriginals (Siriwardhana, Pathmeswaran &
Wickremasinghe, 2019). Although I was familiar with the determinants of health in Australia,
the completion of the topic has assisted me to understand better the different determinants that I
was not conversant with before completing my lectures. More so, I had the knowledge of only
social health determinants, but upon completing the content, I have attained knowledge on other
determinants that include biological, gender, behavioural, gender and environmental
determinants of health of the population. These determinants of health have been found to have

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adverse effects of Indigenous people resulting in health disparities between Indigenous and non-
indigenous populations (Moreno-Serra, Anaya-Montes & Smith, 2019).
During the course of my study, I came to understand that transnational companies are
primary drivers of non-communicable disease epidemics along with profit from increased use of
tobacco, alcohol, as well as ultra-processed food plus a drink. This is linked to the social
determinants of health that continue to affect the indigenous population in Australia. Linked to
social determinants of health are behaviours that influence the health of an individual. The health
risk behaviours that I learned during the course include smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity
risk factors (unhealthy diets and physical inactivity) and gambling. Social determinants that
affect health include lower levels of education, unemployment, income, along with poor quality
housing (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018).
In addition, I was able to gain an understanding that gender bias is one of the key
determinants of health in contemporary society, where gender bias have been found to adverse
effects on women. Society perceives women as reproductive vessels and develops bias that
eventually affects their health. It was interesting to learn that in many societies, male researchers
usually ignore issues related to health like breast cancer on women resulting in continued health
challenges among women. I also learned during the course that biological essentialism
marginalizes the mainstream of women’s health issues that are attributed to lo status of women,
reproductive burden and roles, gendered power relations, and comparatively low incomes
(Gibney et al., 2009). In addition, I learned during my course of study that behaviours contribute
to health disparities among the population. Some other risk behaviours that I learned during the

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course that predispose individuals to health problems include risky sexual behaviours where
most youths do not use condoms while engaging in sexual activities.
Additionally, I further gained knowledge of environmental and biological factors as
determinants of health contribute to health problems among the indigenous people. Genetic
factors were highlighted in the course major attributed to the continuing worst health of the
different populations including Aboriginals. I learned that there are many environmental
challenges and public health that influence the health where they act as determinants of health,
which include biodiversity loss, water availability along with quality, pollution and climate
change. The impacts of these determinants affect the health of the population (MacDonald,
2010).
Implications to Future Practice and Career
With reference to the determinants of health, the unit content has offered all the
fundamental details that are needed by the various stakeholders in the healthcare sector to
promote the health of the population. Therefore, having a better understanding of the
determinants of health will provide the policymakers to develop policies that will better address
the determinants of health that negatively affect the people, especially the Indigenous people
having worst health outcomes (Siriwardhana et al., 2019). The policies will create a blueprint for
different players in the future to better address the health disparities by addressing the
determinants of health. Furthermore, the knowledge from the content of the course will be
instrumental for the government and other stakeholders in promoting the sustainability practices
designed to help in mitigating the effects of the determinants of health that include social and

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environmental determinants of health. For instance, the governments will be able to develop
strategies geared towards ecological sustainability where public healthcare practitioners will
have a platform to implement these strategies (Moore & Kawachi, 2017).
In addition, the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course will be important in
influence multinational corporations to develop sustainable practices that include governance
structures and corporate social responsibilities approaches in promoting sustainability.
Companies with the appropriate knowledge will allow the managers to develop policies and
practices to address the current sustainability challenges by providing education and awareness
of its workforce. This will play an instrumental role in mitigating the effects of different factors
creating health disparities in the population and it will help me to provide more sustainable
solutions (Thompson & Kent, 2014).
Finally, the understanding of the determinants of health will be an important tool for the
government to allocate adequate resources to help in addressing the many factors that create
health disparities in the population.
Conclusion
I have attained considerable knowledge and skills concerning the determinants of health
that affect the population and cause health disparities. I found it interesting to learn many themes
and concepts that I was not previously conversant with. The content has helped me to better
understand social determinants and their effects on the population. The existing knowledge and
idea from the content of the course will assist in the future for government, policymakers and
public health practitioners to develop effective strategies.

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References
Fisher, M., Battams, S., Mcdermott, D., Baum, F., & Macdougall, C. (2019). How the Social
Determinants of Indigenous Health became Policy Reality for Australia’s National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan. Journal of Social Policy, 48(1): 169–
189.
Gibney, K.B., Mihrshahi, S., Torresi, J., Marshall, C., Leder, K & Biggs, B.A. (2009). The
profile of health problems in African immigrants attending an infectious disease unit in
melbourne, australia. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 80(5): 805-
811.
MacDonald, J. J. (2010). Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health in Australia.
Social Alternatives, 29(2): 34–40.
Moore, S., & Kawachi, I. (2017). Twenty years of social capital and health research: A glossary.
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 71(5):513-517.
Moreno-Serra, R., Anaya-Montes, M., & Smith, P. C. (2019). Potential determinants of health
system efficiency: Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean. PLoS ONE, 14(5):
1–21.
Siriwardhana, D. D., Pathmeswaran, A., & Wickremasinghe, A. R. (2019). Socioeconomic
inequality and determinants of postnatal home visits made by public health midwives: An
analysis of the Sri Lanka Demographic and Health Survey. PLoS ONE, 14(4):1–15.

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Taylor, J., & Lamaro Haintz, G. (2018). Influence of the social determinants of health on access
to healthcare services among refugees in Australia. Australian Journal of Primary
Health, 24(1): 14–28.
Thompson, S., & Kent, J. (2014). Connecting and strengthening communities in places for health
and well-being. Australian Planner, 51(3):260-271.