1

Topic Social Determinants Of Health In Disease Development

Institution

Name

Professor

Course

Date
 2

Social Determinants Of Health In Disease Development

Introduction

The health of individuals is majorly determined by the kind of environment they live in,

the lifestyle they lead and the type of daily work they do. The circumstances under which people

are born, develop, live, work, and age and the fundamental drivers of these circumstances are

termed to be social determinants of health (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014, p. 19). The

determinants are not only limited to social factors such as access to fresh and healthy food,

ability to walk and recreational places, but also socioeconomic factors are considerable. Medical

care is thought to be the only influence on health, but it is not due to presence of other factors.

Medical care's limitation results from the failure to determine who can be injured or who can

become sick. The various social determinants of health and how they contribute to disease

development is depicted in this text.

How social determinants contribute to disease development

The social factors from the environment that people reside in determine development of

most diseases. Workers who do not have permission to obtain sick leave have a higher chance of

reporting to work when ill, making them spread disease to coworkers (Braveman & Gottlieb,

2014, p. 23). Being segregated racially, low education, having low social support, and poor

infrastructure also contribute to disease development. Instabilities resulting from acute

inadequate resources and constant conflicts within a family can increase psychological and

emotional stressors leading to diseases. Poor nutrition and physical activity may result from a

lack of fresh produce, as well as a concentration of fast-food outlets and few recreational
 3

opportunities (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014, p. 23). Access to proper sanitation, clean water,

proper nutrition and good education can significantly reduce disease development.

The fundamental idea represented by the communicable disease chain model

The disease chain model represents the causal pathways in three ways. The first way is

about the causal agent of the disease. Protozoa, bacteria, virus and fungus are known to be the

major causes of disease. Also consumption of food concentrated with lots of chemicals can cause

disease development which may only manifest itself later on. The second way is the environment

in which the disease is developed. The susceptible host to be affected by the causal agent is

represented. Lastly are the conditions or elements which either limit or increase the development

of disease.

Steps taken by a nurse to break the link between communicable disease chain

The main role of a nurse in breaking the link is advocacy. They may take part in or

support research that advances people's understanding of the processes by which social factors

affect health and test which interventions tend to be the most successful and productive. Improve

routine procedures for assessing and responding to social needs through referrals and/or on-site

social and legal services. Can create health-promotion strategies that go beyond individual

clinical and social services to affect people's living and working environments, which are the

most important factors about whether they stay healthy or get sick. They can help in the

development of early child-care programs which are quality.

Conclusion

Health is not only determined by the medical care received but also the social

determinants that can dictate it. Individual vulnerability to social determinants of health can even
 4

genetic make-up. People will be affected differently by social determinants of health. While

some will express the effects, others will suppress them even though it is within the same

environment. Therefore, through the chain model, certain links can be broken and others created

to both curb and mitigate the social health determinants. The nurses impact more by sensitizing

people about their vulnerability and resilience to responses in social determinants of health

adversity.
 5

Reference

Braveman, P., & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The social determinants of health: it's time to consider the

causes of the causes. Public health reports, 129(1_suppl2), 19-31.