Social determinants of health

The Social Determinants of Health

The term “social determinants of health” refers to the social and economic situations, as well as their distribution within the population, that have a substantial influence on personal or group variances in health status. These are health-promoting characteristics that can be found in places where people live and work. These include income, wealth, influence, and power distribution. Economic and social policies, political systems, and social norms, according to the World Health Organization, all contribute to the establishment of situations in which individuals face problems (Social determinants of health) (n.d.). As a result of the issues, healthcare providers are faced with a sophisticated and tailored set of constraints and opportunities for each patient. Poverty limits access to healthy diets, education, and medical care, making the have-nots in society more vulnerable to diseases. Moreover, the kind of work, the wages, as well as health risks involved in the workplace, is also a social determinant of the health of a population. Employment enhances sustenance regarding medical care, housing, and access to food, hence improving living standards.

A Communicable Disease Chain

A communicable disease chain is a series of steps outlining how an infection gets from one individual to another. It shows the interaction between a disease-causing agent, a host, and an environment. Transmission occurs when the agent leaves its reservoir or host through a portal of exit, is conveyed by a mode of transmission, and enters through an entrance to infect a vulnerable host.

The Role of Nurses

Nurses play a critical role in breaking the link in the chain of infection. For example, they can cut the chain through immunization, promotion of health awareness, and treatment of diseases. A case of an illness that results from a chain is cholera. In this scenario, the pathogen is the virus cholera vibrio. A reservoir is a person infected with the virus, which releases the virus into the environment via a portal of exit, feces, and food. The route of transmission is houseflies to another individual through consumption of the virus through the diet.

Reference

Social determinants of health. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2017, from

http://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/