Socioecological model of health

What is the socioecological model of health

A conceptual model that outlines how the health status of an individual is influenced not only by attitudes and practices of that individual but also by their personal relationships as well as community and society factors

What is the effect of the multiple levels in the model?

each level invariably overlaps and interacts with each other

health promotors can apply this model to help understand multifaceted nature of human behaviour

explores relationship between individual and contextual factors and considers human behaviour as the product of multiple levels of infleunce on behaviour

By focusing on factors beyond the individual, we are…

 Less likely to ‘blame the victim’.

 More likely to address the underlying determinants of health & health behaviour

.  Addressing the larger cultural, social and economic factors contributing to behaviour.

 Better able to see where & what type of action is needed

What are the levels of the SEMS

indvidual

interpersonal

organisational

community

What is in the individual level?

personal choices of the individual

• attitdues

• values

• beliefs

• skiills

• abilities

• decision making

acknowledges impact of following factors on health

• bio factors

• demographics

• personality and emotional intelligence

• intentions, will and self control

• literacy level including health literacy

What is the interpersonal level?

explores impact close social relationships have on health

dynamic between family members and relationship patterns, connectedness to family

ability of individual to effectively interact with others including communication skills, self management skills, leadership skills, assertion, tolerance, and respect for others

Organisational level

explains how individual lives, works and learns within an organisation

rules, policies and expectations of organisations impact the health of individuals and families

interpersonal interactions occur within setting of organisations and therefore must be acknowledged

the organisation level includes churches, schools, workplaces, community organisations and health care services

• bullying or harassment policies

• safety and injury prevention rules such as protective equipment

• inclusion expectations such as respect for diversity and tolerance

• ergonomically designed furniture

Community level

examines community contexts in which organisations may interact and community norms that cross all organisations within a community

• norms within a community such as drin kdriving or binge drinnking

individuals will bring cultural and community norms iwth them to interpersonal and organisational settings

(e.g. school children come to school with their cultural norms from parents and this will infleunce howw they will interact both with each other and with their teachers. organisation (schoolO) must cater for cultural expecations of students while trying to develop it’s own organisational culture

Societal level

• larger societal factors that influence health behaviour

• Focus on government regulations & other regulatory processes, procedures, or laws to protect health

include cultural norms, collective attidues, economic and social poplicies, justice systems, social welfare system, political stuctures ssuch as democracy, republics, voting systems

Why is sems beneficial?

Addressing larger cultural, social and economic factors that contribute to behaviour

treats interaction between factors at different levels with equal importance

model is useful to identify and cluster intervetion strats based on eco model

(e.g. home visitations interventions act in the relationship level to strengthen bond between parent and child by supporting positive parenting practies)