BETTER HEALTH FOR INDIVIDUALS TERM 1

Critical question 1: what does health mean to individuals?

Definitions of health
Early meanings of health:
- Prior to World War II, health was viewed as the opposite to illness. If there
was no evidence of disease or physical illness, we were considered healthy
- if you were ill – medicine, drugs and doctors could return you to a healthy
state
- didn’t consider the multi-faceted aspects of a persons health

WHO definition:
- State of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
- Gave more recognition to the holistic concept of health DATE

Dimensions of health
Emotional/mental: refers to our state of emotional well-being. People who have
good mental health generally possess a positive outlook on life

Social: refers to our interactions with other people, communication skills and abilities
we display. Good social health means we feel a sense of connection and belonging

Physical: relates to the efficient functioning of the body and its systems, giving
people the capacity to carry out everyday activities and be free from illness. It is the
most visible dimension of health.

Spiritual: relates to feeling a sense of purpose and meaning in our life. Good
spiritual health helps us to feel connected with others such as family members,
peers, our community, to a religion, culture or the environment. Beliefs, values, and
the ethics we hold are factors that influence our spiritual health.
Relative and dynamic nature of health
Relative health: Person's health status in comparison to others or to another time or
place.
- E.g comparing elite athlete to me

Dynamic health: Changes in health status which can occur at any time in a person’s
life.
- Acute change = broken leg or virus
- Chronic change = Slowly gaining weight, mental health issues

Perceptions of health
Factors that influence our perception of health
- Personal interpretation of health = if someone values mental health over
everything they will view someone who has depression as unhealthy
- Our behaviors and lifestyle = someone who smokes weed everyday will view
it as ok whereas someone who doesn’t will view it as unhealthy
- Our past level of health = if someone used to be overweight they will view
someone as healthy if they eat healthy and exercise
- Attitudes about health from family, media etc = If you grew up in a family that
valued mental health over everything you will go through life valuing it more. If
you view Gigi Hadid as healthy you will compare people to her
- Value placed on importance of being healthy = People place different values
on different aspects of health which then influences who they think is healthy
- Environment = If someone grew up in a poor area they might view someone
who lived in a wealthier area as healthy
- Perceptions of the health of other = If your grandparents have had minimal
health issues e.g no walking sticks you might view someone as unhealthy if
they are the same age as them and using a walking stick

Implications of health at different levels

Policy level Individual level

- Used to identify emerging areas of - If impacts are not recognised they

concern won’t seek help
- Significant impacts on health promos - People who know neg side effects are
and health care occurring are more likely to seek help
- Impacts allocation of funding and - Being able to access levels of care to
resources stay healthy
- Stats show different rates
Perceptions of health as a social construct
- Gender
- Age
- Cultural background
- Level of education
- Community values and expectations
- Location
- socioeconomic status

Media Peers Family

- Depth of info and - Social pressures, desire - Values, morals and

frequency to fit in ethics
- Affect what people see - Neg impact on decision - Cultural beliefs and
as a health risk making e.g drug use background
- Spreads awareness - Can pos impact social - Some families might
and spiritual health value physical health over
mental health

Protective behaviours
- Behaviours that are likely to enhance a person’s level of health
- E.g Participating in physical activity, healthy eating habits and positive health
strategies like mindfulness is a protective behaviour against mental health
issues like depression

Risk behaviours
- Behaviours that contribute to development of health problems or poorer health
levels
- E.g Being careless while driving like speding, drunk driving and being on your
phone are risk behaviors while driving increase probability of causing an
accident

Trends about young people

- Proportion of people ages between 14-17 who have never smoked has
increased from 82% in 2001 to 97% in 2019
- Rise in e-cigarettes use among young people (vapes)
- Sucide rates continue to increase amongst people aged between 15-24 from
10.3% (per 100,000 people) in 2007 to 12.7% in 2016
 Critical question 3: What strategies help to promote the health
of individuals

Definition of health promotion

Process of enabling people to increase control over their health and improve their
health. Policy changes, environment improvements, workplace health and safety,
minimal risk behaviours and supportive environment

Responsibility for health promotion

Health promotion Outline of promotion Example

Individual - Living conditions limited by ability to make - Social workers

healthy choices - Health educators
- Empowered to make decisions/have - Urban planners
personal control over their life - Risk & protective behaviours
- Ppl can get help/assistance from health
professionals which increase people's
awareness

Community - Schools play massive role as - Sun safety policies

groups/schools kids/adolescents are still forming - NSW healthy school canteen
understanding of health behaviors - Anti-bullying policies
- Can have a pos or neg impact on health - Provision of play equipment
- Responsible for delivering health & physical
education programs that help develop
knowledge & understanding

NGO’s - Operate at local, national or international - Heart foundation

levels - Cancer council
- Run off public donations, funding and gov. - Asthma Australia
grants focusing on certain issue
- Role in health promo is: education
programs, fundraising/funding research

Commonwealth Responsible for: - Quitnow (tobacco campaign)

government - Planning/forming health policy - National drug campaign
- Identify priority/concern areas - Health star rating
- Allocating funding - Healthy weight guide
- Introducing regulations - Girls make your move

State government - Primary responsibility for planning & - Smoking in public places
delivering specific health promotions & - Pool fencing laws
prevention programs - p’s restrictions
- Funded by state or mix of other government - Work cover requirements
areas
- Responsible planning & forming policies
aimed to reduce health risks
Local government - Given specific roles to implement state - Make sure pools are fenced
controlled programs - Following compliance w/ food
- Responsible for developing lifestyle events handling
or programs - Creating community gardens
- Responsible for understanding long-term
environmental planning
- Responsible for zoning regulations

International - Special agency of UN that serves as - 1986 WHO was responsible

organisations coordinating authority on international public for organising first international
health conference on health
- Providing leadership in health issues promotion
causing worldwide concern - This created things like
- Work NGO’s and other agencies to promote Ottawa charter
higher health standards
- Producing reports that show improvements
worldwide
- Influence research priorities and drive
evidence based research based on health
related policies and practices

Health promotion approaches and strategies e.g lifestyle, public health

Lifestyle/behavioral approaches
What is this approach
- Health promotion is based on the premise that the major causes of morbidity
and mortality within Australia are diseases resulting from poor lifestyle
behaviour choices
- Relevant information and skills will enable people to adopt a healthy lifestyle
- Emphasises the role an individual plays in improving their own health status
Examples
- Web-based help services such as Reachout.com that seek to enhance young
people’s health
- Quit Smoking campaigns and strategies
- Physical activity initiatives such as The Good Sports Program

Preventative Medical Approaches

What is this approach
- Focuses on both disease prevention and the treatment of illness
- Centre around medical personnel working with individuals or populations
- Work to identify physiological risk factors within these individuals
 Outline Example

Primary prevention stage Actions taken aim to prevent an illness Childhood immunisation
ever occurring programs

Secondary prevention stage Programs try to reduce the likelihood that free mammograms for
a disease will develop, mainly in people women aged over 50
identified as being in high-risk groups

Tertiary prevention stage Strategies seek to prevent chronic ill An asthma management
health occurring through the use of plan will be developed by a
effective rehabilitation that stops a GP for a person diagnosed
disease recurring with asthma

Public Health Approaches

What is this approach
- Establishing programs, policies and services that create environments that
support health
- Holistic approach - recognises the role played by factors outside individual
control
- Recognised the complex interaction of determinants on health
Examples
- Curriculum
- Partnerships with parents, health services and the community
- Workplace policies, practices and activities

Ottawa charter
Developing personal skills
- Supporting the personal and social development of the individual
- Aim is to educate, provide health information and to improve decision making,
communication and life skills
- Involves modifying personal behaviours to enable people to learn throughout
life, to prepare them for all of its stages
- E.g compulsory PDHPE lessons

Creating supportive environment

- Making the places people live, work and play a source of good health
- Aim is to take care of each other, our communities and our environment
(natural and built)
- It involves support networks and community services
- E.g smoke free zones, speed bumps
Strengthening community actions
- giving communities the power to identify their own health priorities and then
take action
- The aim is for communities to establish ‘ownership’ of the health problems
specific to their own populations
- Empowering communities to take action
- E.g Aboriginal quitline, ‘clean up Australia day’

Reorienting health services

- Moving away from the ‘clinical and curative services’ approach to a more
‘preventive’ approach
- Aim is to establish in health professionals a more holistic attitude, taking the
wellbeing of the whole person into account
- Responsibility shared between individuals, community groups, health
professionals, health service institutions and governments
- E.g Increased funding for alcohol research, Vaccinations at schools

Building healthy public policy

- Ensuring that decisions made at all levels of government and organisations
are made so that they work towards health improvement
- The aim is to put health on the agenda of policy makers in all sectors at all
levels. To ensure that legislation, policies, taxation changes are undertaken
with population health in mind
- E.g increased tax on tobacco, anti-discrimination laws

Principles of social justice

Equity
- Distributing resources in a way that helps the
disadvantaged groups in society overcome the unfair
and avoidable inequities
- bring health outcomes for these disadvantaged
groups closer to the outcomes for the most
advantaged
- Example: Medicare

Diversity
- Difference and variety
- Health professionals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
bring knowledge, experience and attitudes needed for different health issues
- A healthcare system which incorporates diversity is better equipped to
address the diverse range of health problems
- Example: Closing the Gap health promotion
Supportive environment
- Physical, social and political conditions in which people live or work influence
the decisions they make about their health
- Both natural and built environments
- Example: quality of housing, natural: water and air quality, built: public
transport

Critical question 2: What influences the health of individuals?

Determinants of health
Socioeconomic influences
Income:
- ^ income = access to better quality goods & services to support health
- Poverty ^ exposure to risk behaviours
Employment:
- Gives opportunities for positive identity, social interactions
- Unemployment has been linked to stress, loss of confidence, psychological &
emotional health
Education:
- ^ levels of education, related to ^ income & opportunities
- ^ levels of literacy & numeracy enhancing post school opportunities

Individual influences
Knowledge:
- knowledge & understanding about protective and risk behaviours
- products & people available to support good health, influence ability to
achieve good health
- knowledge does not mean that people are able or willing to make healthy
choices
- Comes from parents, siblings, peers, teachers, internet
Skills:
- acquisition of skills related to decision making, problem solving,
communicating & interacting to empower people to make healthier choices
- E.g being able to negotiate and resolve conflict helps maintain relationships
- modelled by family or taught directly or indirectly at school
Attitudes:
- level of knowledge influences the attitudes ppl develop and the way they
behave
- an individual’s state of mind will affect their capacity to make a safe or
protective decision
- E.g the influence of current smokers being in the presence of smokers who
are trying to quit
Genetics:
- genetic makeup of an individual, when combined with a certain behaviour,
may put a person at risk
- E.g fair skin is not a health risk until it is combined with exposure to UV
radiation

Sociocultural influences
Family:
- Main source of education & role modelling for young ppl
- Responsible for meeting physical needs e.g shelter, food, medical
- Values, beliefs & habits are established before individual can experience
opportunity outside family
Peers:
- Important during adolescence - establishing identity & belonging
- Can have POS or NEG influence
Media:
- Print, TV, cinema, internet, personal communication devices, radio is powerful
and sophisticated
- Can have POS or NEG media messages
Religion:
- Health enhancing benefits = social support, sense of meaning & purpose,
belief system & clear moral code
- E.g food, relationships, clothing
- It can be viewed as judgemental, alienating & exclusive
Culture:
- Patterns of human activity including values & knowledge shared by society
- Different cultural groups have different perspectives of health

Environmental influences
Things in an environment in which people live and work that can affect their health in
a positive or negative way that are both natural and man-made environments
Geographical location:
- People living in rural and remote locations tend to have poorer levels of health
- People living in urban communities are likely to experience better access to
health services and better job opportunities
Access to health services:
- Ability to ‘get’ or ‘reach’ something
- Availability = Availability to all population groups
- Proximity = Not available to some locations
- Affordability = Some are expensive & not covered
- Awareness & understanding = Language barrier, disability
Access to technology:
- Screening tech e.g MRI
- Micro & robotic tech e.g keyhole surgery
 - Databases & online tools
- Communication e.g video conferences
- Improvements in phone coverage decreases feeling of isolation

The degree of control individuals can exert over their health

Modifiable
Ability to modify determinants depend on sense of control & empowerment we feel
over life, increases when:
1. Acquire information
2. Make choices
3. Manage situations
4. skills
- socioeconomic advantage = physical, social resources ^ life
- Self - efficacy - Ability to bring change
- Health knowledge & skills = Accuracy & quality of information
- Interest or desire = interest in overcoming barriers
- Attitudes = both of individuals and society
- E.g education, income, attitudes, skills

Non-modifiable
- Genetics
- Heredity
- Some environmental e.g air quality
- Age, height, gender

Health as a social construct

The recognition that individuals do not have complete control over their own health
has contributed to an acceptance that health is a social construct

The interrelationship of determinants

- Determinants are interrelated
- Stats show that groups that suffer poorer levels of health often experience a
high number of NEG health determinants in their life
- E.g ATSI are most likely to: be in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic
group, have poorer levels of education, have ^ rates of unemployment etc.

Challenging the notion that health is solely the individual’s responsibility

- lower our risk behaviours and increase our protective behaviours
- individual still has some responsibility for their health
- E.g health affected by your context, other people, society, culture,
environment, education, income