Analysis of Social Determinants of Health: Early Childhood

This report delves into the social determinants of health, specifically examining the influence of early childhood experiences on individual well-being. It begins by defining social determinants of health and their impact on individuals, then analyzes two case studies (member 1 and member 2) to illustrate the effect of early life experiences. Member 1's active childhood, characterized by sports and outdoor activities, is contrasted with member 2's experiences. The report explores similarities and differences in how these early experiences shaped their current health and behaviors, drawing on academic sources to support its analysis. The analysis highlights how factors like physical activity, social interaction, access to quality education, and adverse childhood experiences can significantly influence health outcomes later in life. The report concludes by emphasizing the long-term implications of early childhood experiences on health and the role of social determinants in shaping individual trajectories, referencing articles and the textbook chapter for context and support.

RUNNING HEAD: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 0
Social
Determinants of
Health
Student’s Details-

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 1
Question 1
Social determinant of health are the factors with which people are born and grow that
shaped by the distribution of money and power (Castañeda, et al., 2015). Moreover, it is
influenced by early life experiences of the child which sets the foundation for the rest of the
life. Childhood experiences such as the quality of experiences, socializing and family stability
affects their health. Further, the behaviours of the child can be the social determinant which is
affected by the child development process that is altered by the early life experiences. Child’s
cognitive thinking, physical and social environment affects their social development. Further,
a child’s brain develops rapidly in the initial stages of life of child that affects the physical
and mental health of the child and the interchange with the different genes that affects the
lifelong capacity to learn and thus treated as a social determinant (WHO, 2020). Besides, the
quality of the education and the care given to the child in the early stages of life affects the
chances of their success in the later stages.
Question 2
Social determinant is the factor by which the child is recognized to grow and live life.
Family background, cognitive skills of the child, educational and exposure to certain
activities in the early childhood determine the level of social determinant (Strazdins, Welsh,
Korda, Broom, & Paolucci, 2016). Similarly, member 1 has early life experiences in which
he has the good habit of playing outdoors games that adds to his cognitive development due
to the interactions with physical environment. It is similar to the social determinant as the
member has the enhanced lifestyle and due to which the individual characteristics and
behaviours that has interactions with the physical environment that elaborates the social
determinant in which the member’s overall development can make him more energic in the
later stages and healthy as well.
The differences in the social determinant is that member 1 is having the healthy
routine but he does not have social interactions and the excessive physical activities can lead
to the several injuries that can particularly harm his health and bring a negative impact on the
health of the member. Apart from this, as this member is involved in the athlete and outdoor
activities that can make him involved in the sports and is isolated from the studies that makes
the member with lower self-confidence and the less interactions with the family. Thus, this is
different with the social determinant of the health of the member.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 2
Early childhood experiences largely affect the health of the child in the later life
(Bright & Thompson, 2018). This can be seen from the example of member 2 whose present
life is influenced by the past negative experiences of the early life. There is similarity in the
social determinant as the member has negative experiences of life in which the member’s
mental wellbeing has drastically being affected and has placed an impact on the present life
and is treated as the determinant of health. The condition of member 2 is similar to the social
determinant of health as it affects the self-esteem and overall personality of the that member
as a whole. Also, the member is having the negative childhood experiences which has led
him to be indulged in the bad habits that affects his present life and ultimately affects adult
health and wellbeing (Gong , Kendig, & Silverstein, 2015). Thus, the actions and the
behaviours of this member is similar to the social determinants in which he has been
suffering from the negative experiences that has led to the social belonging of that member.
Further, bad habits of the child are affected by the childhood experiences which
affects the mental health of the child in the adulthood (Mersky, Topitzes, & Reynolds, 2013).
The differences in the social determinant of the health is that the member 2 is not having
access to quality education that affect his mental wellbeing. Also, he is not receiving the
quality of care which is somehow different from the perspective of the social determinant in
which the lack of care given in the early childhood can affect the overall development and
personality. Thus, early childhood experiences of the past can be the main determinant
factors that can affect the later life (Lê-Scherban, Wang, Boyle-Steed, & Pachter, 2018). The
differences in the early life of member 2 is his ability to make the decisions and his overall
experiences are different which is the major cause for the social determinant for the health.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 3
References
Bright, M., & Thompson, L. (2018). Association of adverse childhood experiences with co-
occurring health conditions in early childhood. Journal of Developmental &
Behavioral Pediatrics, 39(1), 37-45.
Castañeda, H., Holmes, S., Madrigal, D., Young, M., Beyeler, N., & Quesada, J. (2015).
Immigration as a social determinant of health. Annual review of public health, 36,
375-392.
Gong , C., Kendig, H., & Silverstein, M. (2015). THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD
HEALTH AND EARLY LIFE EXPERIENCE ON ADULT HEALTH AND
WELLBEING: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA. The Gerontologist, 55(2), 520-521.
Lê-Scherban, F., Wang, X., Boyle-Steed, K., & Pachter, L. (2018). Intergenerational
associations of parent adverse childhood experiences and child health outcomes.
Pediatrics, 141(6), e20174274.
Mersky, J., Topitzes, J., & Reynolds, A. (2013). Impacts of adverse childhood experiences on
health, mental health, and substance use in early adulthood: A cohort study of an
urban, minority sample in the U.S. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(11), 917-925.
Strazdins, L., Welsh, J., Korda, R., Broom, D., & Paolucci, F. (2016). Not all hours are equal:
could time be a social determinant of health? Sociology of Health & Illness, 38(1), 21-
42.
WHO. (2020, January 1). 10 facts about early child development as a social determinant of
health. Retrieved January 9, 2020, from World Health Organization:
https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/development/10facts/en/