PUBH6000 Report: Social Determinants of Health and Heart Disease

This report investigates the social determinants of health and their profound impact on heart disease, with a specific focus on the Australian context and low socioeconomic populations. It begins by defining heart disease and its associated risk factors, then delves into the burden of heart disease within low socioeconomic groups, analyzing mortality and prevalence rates. The report explores how social determinants, such as the social gradient and health inequities, contribute to this burden, providing statistical evidence and discussing related challenges. Furthermore, it proposes a public health intervention aimed at improving the nutritional intake of low socioeconomic individuals, highlighting the role of government and other sectors in implementing effective strategies. The report concludes by emphasizing the critical role of social determinants in shaping health outcomes and advocating for interventions that promote health equity and well-being for all.

Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 1
Social Determinants of Health
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SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 2
Social Determinant of Health for Low socioeconomic status in Australia
Introduction
Heart disease is an umbrella used in denoting the number of pathologies, also known as
cardiovascular diseases. Common pathologies under cardiovascular diseases include rheumatic,
congenital heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular. Cardiovascular disease
accounts for approximately 31% of mortality worldwide (AIoHa,2016). Several risk aspects are
linked to a significant proportion of heart disease risk. These risk factors include smoking,
hypertension, diabetes, family history and lack of physical activities. The high number of
individuals affected by the heart disease was recently recorded from the developing the countries
(Mak, Clark, Poulsen, Udengaard & Gilbert, 2012).
Therefore, this report will focus on low socioeconomic status since it has been consistently
associated with heart disease mortality and morbidity. Later, this report shall provide a proposal
of public health intervention that will address the social determinant health for the low
socioeconomic status in Australia
Section 1: Social determinants of Heart disease for Low socioeconomic status in Australia The burden of heart disease within the Low socioeconomic status in Australia
Mortality
According to Moodie, Tolhurst & Martin (2016), the high deaths are recorded in the low
socioeconomic status population residing outside the major cities. The high mortality can be
attributed to optimal access to health facilities, harsh environment and difficulties in sourcing
fresh meals. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is the population that has been mainly
affected and relatively isolated in Australia. The mortality rate for Heart disease accounts for

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 3
47,637 of deaths that occurred in 2004. Heart disease has been identified as one of the major
causes of premature deaths in the state of Australia. Ischaemic and cerebrovascular contributes to
the highest number of deaths that happened in the year 2004. In the year 2004, the Ischaemic
heart disease accounted for approximately 19% of male deaths and 18% for the female deaths.
Stroke is the second largest cause of heart disease deaths since the year 1968, accounting for 7%
for males and 11% for the females in 2004 (Huang, Barnett, Wang & Tong, 2012).
Prevalence
Approximately 12% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in Australia reported
having the heart disease from the year 2004 to 2005. The most common heart disease among
them was hypertension which accounted for 22% of the 35 years and above individuals. The
proportion is continually increasing for the 45-54 aged people. Woodruffe et al (2015), states that
within ten years, the condition of the heart disease has tremendously increased for the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders when compared to that of non-indigenous people.
 Discuss how the social determinants of health can explain the burden of heart disease
within the Low socioeconomic status in Australia
The social conditions where people live, work or are born contributes significantly in
determining their wellbeing. Stringhini et al (2017) state that 20% of living in Australian low
socioeconomic zones in 2014 to 2015 was likely to have the heart disease. The research
conducted by (Braveman, Egerter & Williams, 2011) showed that cultural, social, political and
economic conditions have contributed to identifying social determinant of wellbeing. This
section will only focus on two key social determinants which have the burden of the heart
disease in the low socioeconomic status; the social gradient and health inequities.

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The social gradient
It has been established that illness and health of individuals are not equally distributed in the
population of Australia. The variation follows typically the gradient where the overall health
improvement tends to improve through upgrading the socioeconomic positions. For example, in
one of the studies the female death was 518 deaths out of 100000 population in low
socioeconomic regions. On the other hand, it was 503 deaths per 100000 people in the higher
socioeconomic regions (Fisher, Baum, MacDougall, Newman & McDermott, 2016). People of
low socioeconomic regions are disadvantaged because many of them are not able to acquire
private health insurance when compared to individuals from the highest socioeconomic parts.
Health Inequities
The knowledge of health inequities is vital to address the disparities in the health results of the
low socioeconomic population in Australia. First, people living in low socioeconomic areas are
more likely to be exposed to tobacco smoking which is one of the causes of heart disease.
Secondly, Low socioeconomic individuals have less to spend on medication and healthcare when
affected by heart disease. Lastly, the low socioeconomic people have no access to a cardiologist
due to low cost of living when compared to high socioeconomic regions. The main disadvantage
to the low socioeconomic is the gap between the highest and lowest due to economic standards
(Gracey, & King, 2009).
The evidence of the health inequities reveals that the burden of heart disease is higher in low
socioeconomic population. The highest mortality is associated with heart disease whose
prevalence rate is high due to poor health eating for the low socioeconomic individuals
(AIoHa,2016). Alarmingly, the health inequities gap became wide when the prevalence of the

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 5
heart disease risk aspects according to earning rate over time were analyzed. Indeed, the heart
disease among other diseases was increasing from the year 1994 (Stringhini et al, 2017). It has
also been indicated that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia have a high
prevalence of Heart disease. The health regarding the heart disease among the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders is feeble. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a high incidence of
the risk factors like smoking and family history. Health inequities have been identified as one of
the severe challenges in improving the health care of the heart disease burden (Mak, Clark,
Poulsen, Udengaard & Gilbert, 2012).
Section 2: An intervention to address social determinants of Heart disease for Low
socioeconomic status in Australia
Social determinants of Heart disease intervention
Beverages and energy-dense food have high sugar, salt and fats, and they are the only easily
accessible food for the Low socioeconomic status in Australia. Foods without the balanced diet
and containing the high amount of sugar, salt and fats are linked with high-risk effect of
Ischaemic heart disease.
Feeding on energy-dense foods with minimal physical exercise contributes to weight gain.
Therefore, there is a need to improve the diet among the Low socioeconomic status in Australia.
Diet improvement can be enhanced by providing various guidelines that incorporate daily intake
of food to prevent the increase of micronutrient deficiencies like coronary heart disease. Foods
rich in nutrients in a diverse range of vegetables and fruits help in protecting the body against a
variety of heart diseases. Ball, Carver, Downing, Jackson & O'Rourke, (2015) indicates that the
intake of nutrient-rich foods can be associated with the results of the social gradient of Low
socioeconomic status in Australia. Socioeconomically challenged regions are less likely to take

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 6
nutrient-rich foods. Empowering the low socioeconomic population to pursue a habit of feeding
on nutrient-rich foods require the address of social gradient.
Other sectors that can be involved in the intervention aside from the health sector
The other sector that can play a crucial role in improving the intake of nutrient-rich food for the
low socioeconomic population is the government. One of the vital functions of any system of
governance is to provide the nutrition needs of its people. Changing the nutrition condition of the
low socioeconomic population by the Australian government will improve their health
conditions.
The Australian government will achieve a proper nutrition intake by taking part to regulate the
decision that is made concerning food consumption and supply.
System of food comprises all operations that are involved in trade, distribution, manufacturing
and processing. This system can impact healthy eating, nutritional quality and the acceptability
of food in low socioeconomic population. Regulating the polices of food processing and
distribution in low socioeconomic is the only way to reshape the system of food. Reshaping the
operation of food will make less nutrient-rich food significantly available (Chapman et al 2016).
Conclusion
Social determinants of health can undermine or strengthen the health of low socioeconomic
status in Australia. For instance, the low socioeconomic status individuals are at a high risk of
contracting the heart disease compared to most top socioeconomic status people. The low
socioeconomic groups are more likely to face the challenge of acquiring quality medical
facilities and taking in low nutrition foods. The risks factor associated with unfortunate eating
habit is contacting the heart disease. The high number of individuals affected by the heart disease
was recently recorded from the low socioeconomic status in Australia. Thus, leading a high

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 7
mortality rate for Heart disease accounting for 47,637 of deaths that occurred in 2004. This
report has discussed one of the Social determinants of Heart disease interventions as improving
high nutrition-rich food intake for the low socioeconomic status in Australia. The government
can achieve the consumption of top rich nutrition through regulating the food processing,
manufacturing and supply to the socioeconomic status people. This system will significantly
impact healthy eating, nutritional quality and the acceptability of food in low socioeconomic
population.

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