SYLLABUS CONTENT
How do we understand and measure Australia’s health?
Discuss the range of determinants (broad features of society, environmental factors, socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviours and biomedical factors), that influence the health and wellbeing of Australians
What are Determinants of Health?
Determinants of health are the factors that influence an individual's or community's health and wellbeing. They help explain why some people experience better health outcomes than others. These factors can be modifiable (able to be changed, such as lifestyle choices) or non-modifiable (fixed, such as genetics or age).
Determinants can also act as risk factors (increasing the likelihood of poor health) or protective factors (reducing the risk of disease and promoting well-being). They are grouped into five key categories:
Broad features of society (sociocultural)
Environmental
Socioeconomic
Health Behaviours (Individual)
Biomedical (Individual)
Brainstorm
Propose reasons for why rural and remote areas have higher rates then metropolitan?
Broad features of society (sociocultural)
Health and wellbeing are shaped by family, peers, culture, and media. These influences can be positive or negative, affecting lifestyle choices, access to healthcare, and personal beliefs about health.
Family: Shapes values, self-esteem, and health behaviours from childhood. Active families promote positive habits, while inactive families may encourage unhealthy lifestyles.
Peers: Influence health choices, both positively (e.g., encouraging exercise and support networks) and negatively (e.g., peer pressure leading to smoking, drinking, or risky behaviours).
Culture and Religion: Influences values, beliefs, and perceptions of health, illness, and treatment. Cultural norms may impact physical activity, diet, and medical decisions (e.g., Muslim women’s modesty in sport, Jehovah’s Witnesses declining blood transfusions).
Media: Shapes identity and health perceptions through social and mass media. Can negatively influence body image and self-esteem (e.g., unrealistic beauty standards). Can positively promote health awareness through public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 safety messages).
Activity - Scenarios
Within pairs you will be given a scenario sheet. Together you must answer the following questions and share your ideas with the class:
Identify the sociocultural determinants within the scenario:
Explain how the sociocultural determinants in the scenario may positively or negatively impact health status.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors refer to the social, cultural, natural and human-made environments in which we live. They are directly linked to climate, air quality, water quality, health behaviours and emotional health. Two key factors include:
Geographic Location – Where someone lives greatly effects health by influencing access to healthcare, fresh food, and recreational facilities, while also determining exposure to environmental risks such as pollution or isolation. Rural and remote areas may face limited services but benefit from lower population density, whereas urban areas offer more resources but can present challenges like pollution and stress.
Access to services and technology - Does the environment an individual live in have access to all medical needs? Is their fresh food available? Does their location give them access to new, specialized technology? Can they receive dialysis, or do they have to travel large distances?
As a class we will watch the following video. Then answer the following:
Identify the environmental determinants in the clip.
Brainstorm how these environmental determinants could contribute to poor health outcomes (e.g. Negative attitudes toward help-seeking).
Consider the following statistic:
Indigenous Australians in Remote and Very Remote areas experienced potentially avoidable death rates 2.3 times higher than those in Major Cities.
Explain how environmental determinants contribute to higher preventable fatalities for Rural and Remote Australians.
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomic determinants of health refer to the social and economic conditions that influence an individual's or community's health outcomes. These factors shape access to healthcare, healthy lifestyles, and overall well-being. The key factors include:
Education - Affects health literacy and job opportunities, leading to better decision-making about diet, exercise, and medical care.
Income - Determines access to healthcare, nutritious food, and safe housing.
Employment - Secure and stable employment provides financial security, access to healthcare, and reduced stress, while unemployment can lead to poor mental health and financial hardship. The type of employment also matters—high-stress, physically demanding, or unsafe jobs can increase injury risk and negatively impact long-term health.
As a class we will brainstorm a flow chart, to highlight the flow on effect of the poverty cycle and how socioeconomic factors can quickly snowball to impact an individual's health status.
Build your knowledge
Read through the case study on pages 46-48 of your textbook. Then answer the following:
Explain how socioeconomic factors contribute to the obesity rates in Australia.
Health Decisions (Individual)
Health decisions refer to the choices individuals make that impact their health and well-being, including lifestyle behaviours such as diet, exercise, and seeking preventive healthcare (e.g., screenings and vaccinations). These decisions are influenced by individual factors such as attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge, which shape a person's willingness to adopt healthy behaviours or engage in risky activities. Health decisions play a key role in both individual and population health outcomes.
Biomedical Factors (Individual)
Biomedical factors are biological traits and bodily conditions that influence an individual's health and risk of disease. These include age, sex, genetics, and underlying health conditions, as well as modifiable factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids, and impaired glucose regulation. There is a strong link between biomedical factors and health choices, as lifestyle behaviours such as diet, exercise, and smoking can significantly impact these conditions. While some biomedical factors are non-modifiable (e.g., genetics, age), others can be managed or improved through lifestyle choices and medical intervention. These factors play a key role in the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension, affecting both individual and population health.
Read through the text on page 58. Then, watch the beneath clouds extract and answer the question sheet.
CUBE the following question. Then use your verb sheet and ALARM matrix to formulate a response.
Explain how the determinants interact to affect the health of population groups.
5 marks
Sample
Complete the second paragraph using anther example. Please note the verb progression and examples.
The determinants of health refer to the social, environmental and individual factors that influence individual and community health outcomes. Rather than working in isolation they often overlap and inter-relate with one another. For example, an individuals education (socioeconomic) can impact their health literacy and ability to effectively seek support services and navigate the health care system. This may lead to negative attitudes towards help seeking (individual health behaviours) and higher rates of potentially avoidable chronic disease or death. For instance, an individual with low education levels may not obtain the necessary skills to access cancer pre screening technologies, resulting in higher risks of mortality.
Similarly……