Health Studies EST - 2026

Social determinants of health, consumer health, interpersonal health, health inquiry

Social Determinants of health

Stress, Early life, Social exclusion, Work, Unemployment, Social Support, Addiction, Food, Transport, Culture

Consumer health

Health literacy and factors influencing use of health products and services

Interpersonal health

skills required for working effectively with individuals and groups

health inquiry

Interpretation of information, and the use of information to explore a health issue

Health Literacy

Accessing, reading, and comprehending health information. Along with engaging in self care and disease management

Factors influencing use of health products and services

Media, Transport, Cost, Consumer confidence

Using information to explore a health issue

Identifying and using information from a range of reliable sources, Identifying and applying a criteria for selecting information sources

Interpretation of information

Summary of information, identification of trends and patterns in data, development of general conclusions.

Stress

The bodies physiological and psychological response to certain situations

Stress Impacts

Mental health - anxiety, depression, irritability

Physical health - headaches, sleep disturbances, increased heart rate and blood pressure

Social health - withdrawal from friendships

Early life

Experiences during childhood

Early life impacts

Negative - increased risk of chronic disease

Positive - Improved resilience and wellbeing

Social exclusion

Being isolated of marginalized from society

Social exclusion impacts

Mentally - risk of depression

Socially - Loneliness

Reduced access to education and employment

Work

Employment conditions and job satisfaction. Can have both positive and negative effects on health.

Work Impacts

Positive work - Income, purpose, social connection, stimulating & rewarding

Unsafe/negative work - Injury, stress, hazards, bullying which can lead to mental health issues or social exclusion

Unemployment

An extended period of time without employment

Unemployment impacts

Physical - Increased risk of disease

Mental - Increase in anxiety & stress, leading to depression and other mental health concerns

Socially - Relationship difficulties and social exclusion

Food

Access to affordable, nutritious food

Food impacts

Poor access - Obesity, malnutrition

Healthy diet - Improved immune function

Social determinants of health definition

The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. And how these conditions influence health outcomes

Social support

Support from family, friends and community. Interaction with others brings many health benefits

Social Support impacts

Positive - Improves ability to cope, encourages healthy behaviors, reduces mental illness risk

Negative - Reduced access to health services, increased risk of mental health issues, isolation and loneliness, reduced motivation to engage in healthy behaviors

Addiction

Dependence on substances or behaviors. can have many adverse effects on health.

Addiction impact

Physical - Poor nutrition, physical damage, fatigue

Financial hardship

Social - Relationship breakdowns, increased risk of crime involvement

Mental - Increased risk of mental issues or disorders, effected judgement

Transport

Access to reliable transportation

Transport impacts

Limited access - reduced healthcare access, leading to increase in health disorders and diseases, unsafe transport can lead to safety risks

Good access - Increased independence improving social well being, access to health services, fresh food, work, education, and social activities, leading to a positive impact on health

Culture

Beliefs, traditions, values, and practices shared by a group that influences behaviors and health related decisions

Culture impacts

It influences diet and lifestyle behaviors, as well as influencing healthcare decisions

Skills required for working effectively in groups

Negotiation and conflict resolution

Steps to Negotiation

Prepare, meet for a discussion, clarify the goal, discuss possible outcomes, agree on a solution, implementation

conflict resolution strategy

Identify the issue, discussion & listening, Agreement, Brainstorm solutions

Skills for conflict resolution

Active listening, assertive communication, empathy, problem-solving, teamwork, taking responsibility, and open communication