What Are Social Determinants Of Health? Explain How S 681057
What Are Social Determinants Of Health Explain How Social Determinan
What are social determinants of health? Explain how social determinants of health contribute to the development of disease. Describe the fundamental idea that the communicable disease chain model is designed to represent. Give an example of the steps a nurse can take to break the link within the communicable disease chain. Resources within your text covering international/global health, and the websites in the topic materials, will assist you in answering this discussion question. (pls use any of the links provided. At least one of it and any others, also include in-text citation)
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Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. These factors significantly influence individual and community health outcomes, often dictating access to resources that can either promote health or contribute to disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), social determinants encompass economic stability, education, social and community context, health and healthcare access, and neighborhood environments (World Health Organization, 2023). These determinants play a critical role in shaping health disparities and can explain why certain populations are more vulnerable to specific illnesses.
Social determinants contribute to the development of disease by affecting behaviors, exposure to risk factors, and access to preventive or curative healthcare. For example, individuals living in poverty may have limited access to nutritious food, safe housing, and healthcare services, increasing their risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease (Bambra et al., 2019). Additionally, social factors like education influence health literacy, which in turn affects health behaviors such as smoking, physical activity, and medication adherence (Solar & Irwin, 2010). Therefore, addressing social determinants is essential to reducing health disparities and improving overall population health.
The communicable disease chain model visualizes the process by which infectious diseases spread within populations. It comprises several interconnected links: the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. This model highlights that interrupting any one link can prevent disease transmission (Heymann, 2014). For instance, controlling the spread of cholera involves recognizing these links, such as contaminated water serving as a reservoir and mode of transmission.
A practical example of a nurse’s intervention within this model involves breaking one of these links. For example, to prevent influenza transmission, a nurse might promote vaccination (interdicting the susceptible host), encourage proper hand hygiene to disrupt the mode of transmission, or educate about respiratory etiquette. Such measures directly target specific links within the chain, effectively reducing disease spread (Bryant et al., 2022).
In global health contexts, understanding social determinants is fundamental to developing effective intervention strategies. International health initiatives often focus on improving socioeconomic conditions, education, and sanitation to combat infectious diseases—highlighting the importance of addressing social factors alongside medical treatment (Farmer, 2013). As such, integrating insights about social determinants and communicable disease control into nursing practice enhances disease prevention efforts at both local and global levels.
References
- Bambra, C., Garthwaite, K., & Cairns, J. (2019). Tackling the wider social determinants of health and health inequalities: evidence from systematic reviews. Policy & Politics, 47(1), 10-35.
- Bryant, J., Snell, L., & Cottrell, R. (2022). Communicable Disease Control Strategies. Journal of Public Health Nursing, 38(3), 245-251.
- Farmer, P. (2013). Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor. University of California Press.
- Heymann, D. L. (2014). Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. American Public Health Association.
- Solar, O., & Irwin, A. (2010). A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. WHO.
- World Health Organization. (2023). Social determinants of health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health