Factors Creating Health Inequities

Factors

• gender

• unemployment

• access to healthcare

• racism

• dislocation of land

• discrimination

• occupation

• geographic location

• social isolation

• socioeconomic status

• health literacy

• access to and level of education

• government economic and social policies

GUARD DOGS SHAG

What is access to health care

The timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes and prevent further damage to an individual’s health status

5 A’s

Availability

Affordability

Acceptability

Accomodation

Accessibility

How does inadequate access to healthcare lead to health inequities

Limited access leads to

• delayed diagnosis,

• poor disease management,

• higher rates of preventable illness and death

Low-SES groups, Aboriginal Australians, and rural populations are disproportionately affected, widening health gaps.

How can inequities related to access to healthcare be addressed?

increasing bulk-billing and Medicare rebates to remove financial barriers

expanding telehealth and mobile health clinics to improve access in rural and low-SES areas

subsidising essential medications to improve treatment adherence

providing culturally safe healthcare to increase trust, service use, and health outcomes for disadvantaged populations..

Unemployment

The state of being without paid work while actively seeking employment

How does unemployment contribute to health inequities?

Unemployment reduces income and financial security,

limiting access to healthcare, nutritious food, and stable housing.

It increases stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of social exclusion,

leading to poorer mental and physical health outcomes compared to employed populations.

How can health inequities related to unemployment be addressed?

income support systems that reduce financial stress

job creation and retraining programs that improve long-term employment opportunities

accessible healthcare and mental health services that prevent the negative physical and psychological impacts of prolonged unemployment.

Social isolation

A lack of social contact or support from family, friends, or the community, which can negatively affect mental, emotional, and physical health.

How does social isolation contribute to health inequities?

It increases the risk of

mental illness,

chronic disease, and

early mortality

due to reduced emotional support, health-seeking behaviour, and access to assistance.

How can social isolation-related health inequities be addressed?

By developing community connection programs that strengthen social networks

creating inclusive environments that promote participation,

improving access to mental health services to reduce the psychological and physical effects of isolation.

Social isolation vs Social exclusion

Exclusion - being excluded from community events by not catering for disability access

Isolation: caused by geographical location and lack of technology

Dislocation of land

Forced or involuntary removal of individuals for communities from their traditional or established living environments

• various circumstances such as colonisation, conflict, natural disasters or developmental projects

Impacts of being dislocated from land

• psychological stress (trauma → mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, sense of isolation)

• socioeconomic challenges (displacement → unemployment, poverty, reduced access to education)

• reduced access to services (relocated individuals may find themselves in areas with limited health care facilities/language differences and unfamiliar health care systems

• loss of cultural identity and practices (displacement disrupts traditional lifestyles, loss of cultural practices that are integral to a community’s identity and well-being)

How can health inequities related to land dislocation be addressed?

By recognising land rights, supporting cultural reconnection, strengthening self-determination, and funding culturally led, community-controlled health and wellbeing programs

Occupation

The type and conditions of a person’s employment, including job security, income, physical demands and workplace safety

How does occupation influence health inequities?

Low-paid, insecure, or hazardous occupations increase exposure to injury, stress, and illness, while reducing access to sick leave and healthcare, resulting in poorer health outcomes.

How can occupation-related health inequities be addressed?

By enforcing workplace safety standards, ensuring fair wages and job security, providing paid leave, and improving access to occupational health services.

Access to and level of education

The ability to obtain and complete quality education, and the highest level of education achieved

How does education influence health inequities?

Lower education levels reduce employment opportunities, income, and health literacy. This limits access to resources and increases vulnerability to poor health, creating long-term health inequities.

How can education related health inequities be addressed?

ensuring equitable access to high-quality education from early childhood,

providing financial and learning support for disadvantaged students,

promoting lifelong learning opportunities to improve health literacy, employment prospects, and long-term health outcomes.

Geographic location

The physical area where someone lives, which can affect their access to services, resources, education, employment and healthcare

How does geographic location create health inequities?

People living in rural and remote areas experience reduced access to healthcare services, specialists, and emergency care

. Long travel distances and workforce shortages lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment, resulting in poorer health outcomes compared to urban populations.

How can geographic health inequities be addressed?

Telehealth reducing distance barriers,

incentives encourage healthcare workers to practise in rural areas.

Investment in transport and regional healthcare infrastructure improves access to timely care and emergency services.

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Socioeconomic status

A person’s position in society based on income, education, and occupation/employment, which influences living conditions, health behaviours, and access to resources

How does SES contribute to health inequties

Lower SES limits access to healthcare,

healthy food,

quality education, safe housing,

leading to higher disease rates

shorter life expectancy.

How can SES-related health inequities be addressed?

income support and progressive taxation to reduce poverty,

affordable housing to improve living conditions,

equitable access to quality education to improve employment prospects,

universal healthcare to ensure health services are not determined by ability to pay.

Things that relate to socioeconomic status

Socioeconmic status

education level

employment

Socioeconomic status

low income, poverty, and lack of financial stability, can limit access to healthy food, healthcare and safe living conditioons

leads to increase risk of unhealthy behaviours like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and poor diet

How does education affect health?

lower education level → limited health knowledge, making individuals more likely to engage in risky behaviours due to lack of understanding about health risk

Lack of invstment in education in early years (prenatal to 8) → lack of laying critical foundation for the rest of the entire life course as an individual.

Brain development highly sensitive to extenrnal influecnes in early childhood and is shown to influence life experiences dramatically

Ways to address health inequities as a result of education?

Need preschool edu programs, primary schools and job training as part of all communities → will contribute to the development of children and can have a vital role in building childrens capabilities

Employment status

Unemployment can lead to stress

Gender

socially constructed roles and expectations associated with being male, female or gender-diverse can affect health outcomes and access to opportunities

How gender creates inequities

Gender roles and expectations influence how individuals access healthcare, experience illness and seek support

Women may experience inequity through underrepresentation in medical research or dismissal of symptoms

men may be less likely to seek help due to social norms around masculinity

Trans + gender diverse = often face stigma and lack of inclusive services

culture can also influence the appropriateness of healthcare (some may only allow women to be treated by female healthcare workers

How to address gender based health inequities

implementing gender-responsive healthcare that recognises differing biological and social needs,

delivering health promotion that challenges harmful gender norms (e.g. discouraging risk-taking and encouraging help-seeking)

, enforcing workplace gender equity policies,

providing targeted mental health and violence-prevention services to reduce gender-related health risks.

What is Racism?

Prejudice or discrimination against individuals or groups based on race or ethnicity

How does racism affect health inequities

• Racism contributes to chronic stress, mistrust of services, and social exclusion

• Reduce access to culturally appropriate healthcare and influence the quality of care received

• intergenerational trauma and systemic discrimination can affect employment, education, housing, and mental weelbeing - all key determinatnts

How can health inequities caused by racism be addressed?

By enforcing anti-racism legislation to reduce systemic discrimination,

providing cultural safety training for healthcare professionals to improve quality of care,

expanding Aboriginal community-controlled health services to increase culturally appropriate care, and

supporting self-determination to empower communities and improve long-term health outcomes

What is discrimination?

Unfair or unjust treatment of individuals or groups based on personal charactersitccs such as race, gender, sexuality, age or disability

How does discrimination affect health?

Discrimination limits access to education, employment, housing, and healthcare.

Ongoing exposure to discrimination increases stress, social exclusion, and mental illness.

Marginalised groups experience poorer health outcomes due to reduced opportunities and unequal treatment across social systems.

How can discrimination-related health inequities be addressed?

Through strong anti-discrimination laws that protect equal access to services, inclusive institutional policies that reduce systemic barriers, education programs that reduce stigma and bias, and equitable access to healthcare, education, employment, and housing to improve long-term health outcomes.

Differentiatiating between racism and discrimination

All racism is discrimination, but not all discrimination is racism

Discrimination may also relate to disability, age, or gender

What are the types of discrimination?

Individual → individual attitudes and behaviours

Systemic → works through structures of society such as education, justice, media, polciing, immigration, employment and government policies

Cultural → value system embedded in society and forms the basis of the other forms of racism

Health Literacy

The ability to read, access and u nderstand health information to make informed health decisions

impacts of poor health literacy

• problems with building relationships with health care providers

• could have problems identifying which services are necessary to manage her ongoign care

• poor ability to find health information

• difficulty understandning instructions provided by professionals

• difficulty describing concerns

• poor ability to scrutinise health information and workout what is reliable

• poor abilit yto communicate health needs to others

• poor ability to process and interpret health infromation

How can health literacy inequities be addressed?

plain language,

culturally appropriate resources

and targeted health education programs.

doctors being educated on how to present information appropriately

education for all ages