sociocultural factors that contribute to variations in health outcomes

sociocultural factors

relates to the social and cultural conditions into which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. They are often beyond the control of individuals.

socioeconomic status

refers to a person’s position in society relative to other people based on three factors:

• income: access to housing, food, healthcare, transport, education

• occupation: eg manual labour has a higher chance of injury

• education: health literacy

socioeconomic health outcomes

health status:

• income: access to housing, food, healthcare, transport, education

• occupation: eg manual labour has a higher chance of injury - incidence

• education: health literacy

health and wellbeing:

• income: financial stress, can’t afford to go out with friends or nutritious food

• occupation: consistent employment fosters sense of belonging and purpose

employment status

relates to whether a person has a job or not. It is often a two way relationship, for some it is ill health that causes unemployment, (injury/disease) whereas other times it is unemployment that causes ill health, (depression, anxiety)

employment status impact on health outcomes

health status:

unemployment results in a higher likelihood of suffering from illness.

health and wellbeing:

• stress about job security - mental

• unemployment means lacking purpose - spiritual

social networks and social exclusion

networks: bonds between an individual and their family/peer group, and the ability to participate in society.

exclusion: the segregation that people feel if they are not adequately participating in the society in which they live. Includes people who experience disconnectedness and who don’t make use of resources.

exclusion can be caused by:

• discrimination

• disability

• homelessness

• low income

• increased risk taking

• family breakdown

impact of SN and SE on health outcomes

health status:

• having strong social networks is associated with lower morbidity and increased life expectancy. This is due to a decrease in risk taking behaviours.

• those who are socially excluded are less likely to access healthcare services

health and wellbeing:

• strong support networks along for people feeling distressed to seek help - emotional

• exclusion prolonged stress can cause physical symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue

social isolation

refers to not being in regular contact with others. Geographical barriers can prevent people from being able to interact with others, as well as disability, disease, lack of transport and language barriers.

loneliness

a subjective concept that relates to negative feelings experienced when there is less social contact than preferred.

social isolation impact on health outcomes

• can lead to mental illness, suicide, premature death

• also lead to losing weight

• sleep problems

• emotional distress

• feelings of worthlessness

• lack of hope

• high blood pressure

cultural backgrounds

relates to customs, ideas, values and traditions of a society that are passed through generations. Social expectations that impact health outcomes include gender stereotypes, food intake, attitudes and beliefs.

eg indigenous people may struggle to access culturally appropriate healthcare due to the dominance of western medicine.

cultural backgrounds impact on health outcomes

health status:

• language barriers can restrict CALD Australians from the healthcare system, increasing mortality and morbidity

• males being less likely to access healthcare, due to stigmas

health and wellbeing

• women are more likely to care for children, damaging social connections and increasing stress and anxiety

• stigmas around mental health and wellbeing

Food security

the quality, availability or affordability of the food supply all affect what people eat. A shortage of such products can lead to deficiency diseases and health complications. The opposite is also true, with too much leading to type two diabetes or CVD

food security impact on health outcomes

health status

• low SES more likely to experience insecurity, expensiveness of fresh food, reliance on processed foods, higher morbidity/mortality of CVD

• people in rural areas, lack of fresh food, thus food insecurity

Health and wellbeing

• stress about food and how to afford it - mental

• overconsumption of foods high in salt, sugar, fats - physical

Early life experiences

every person is, in part, a product of their past experiences. Such experiences help to shape each individual, their outlook on life, and the behaviours they engage in throughout life. Strong emotional attachment and optimal growth in early years assists in adulthood

early life experiences impact on health outcomes

health status:

• maternal drug and tobacco use can increase carbon dioxide consumption, which can stunt growth and lead to a low birth weight, causing CVD or obesity later in life.

health and wellbeing

• LBW - damaged respiratory system - hard to exercise - up body weight

• FASD - poor emotional regulation - ehw

• FASD - behavioural issues - limited friends - shw

Access to healthcare

healthcare refers to services that promote and preserve health and wellbeing. These services diagnose, treat and manage disease/injury

factors such as location, culture, income and health literacy impact someone’s engagement with the healthcare system

access to healthcare’s impact on health outcomes

• no access - increased illness - can’t attend work, social events, increased stress, more pain

commercial factors

relates to the impact the private sector has on consumption patterns of individuals and groups. It includes all non government entities that aim to create profit.

includes packaging, labelling and processing of products.

commercial factors impact on health outcomes

health status

• exposure to air pollution - asthma

• consumption of energy dense foods - CVD

• laborious jobs - injury

health and wellbeing

• being close to industrial sites - pollution - stress and anxiety

• marketing techniques - likelihood of participating in activities that detract from health, eg excessive drinking, smoking, gambling

the sociocultural factors

• socioeconomic status

• employment status

• social networks and exclusion

• social isolation

• cultural background

• food security

• early life experiences

• access to healthcare

• commercial factors