Determinants of Health

Ms. Priti Sapkota 08/10/2023 1

 Health is multi-factorial.

 It is relative and not absolute. It is always under the

influence of various factors which interact with each
other and determine the health status of any individual,
family and community at large at given point of time.
These factors are known as determinants of health.

 These can be categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic

factors.

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 Fig: Determinants Of Health
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1.HUMAN BIOLOGY

Genetic
Inheritance

Age

Racial Factors

Self Concept
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 GENETIC INHERITANCE
 Genetic inheritance influences physical characteristics and
intellectual potentials of an individual.

 The physical characteristics include sexuality, color, facial

structure, height, body posture, intelligence etc.

 The person who has desirable physical characteristics and

intellectual potentialities receives positive interactions
and re-enforcement from people around him which
promote his/her self concept, self esteem, self confidence
and promote his/ her mental and social health.
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GENETIC INHERITANCE…
 Sexuality of the person affects disease
susceptibility. Certain genetic and acquired diseases
are more common in one sex than in the other e.g.
hemophilia is found in male.

 There are number of diseases which are of genetic

origin such as mental retardation, diabetes etc.

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 AGE
 Age influences illness susceptibility as well as behavior.

 The young children and the elderly are more susceptible

because of weak body resistance e.g. the infant and young
children are immature physiologically and psychologically and
have limited responses.

 The elderly person has limited responses because of declining

physical abilities and sensory perception.

 Both find it difficult to adjust with environmental demands and

are prone to get ill health soon.
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RACIAL FACTORS

 Racial factors affect health because of different

culture, values, and attitude etc. susceptibility to
illness also varies with race e.g. sickle cell anemia
is more common in Africans people.

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SELF CONCEPT

 Self concept implies individuals self perceptions of

his or her physical, intellectual, and social abilities.

 Self concept varies with each individual whether

he or she feels positive or negative about himself/
herself accordingly he or she will behave and
handle the situations and fulfill his or her health
needs.

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 2. ENVIRONMENT

 Environment is one of the extrinsic factors which

influence health and wellness of human beings.

 It includes physical, biological and social component

which are interrelated. It may be referred as micro-
environment and macro environment.

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ENVIRONMENT…
 Micro- environment refers to immediate
environment or personal environment and usually
include home environment, occupational
environment, socio-cultural environment etc.

 Macro-environment refers to external environment

which is outside the home environment (eg.
National, international scenario etc). Both micro
and macro environment have its own components
and has direct impact on well being of its people.
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 Physical
Environment

Social Biological
Environment Environment

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 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
 The physical environment is comprised of housing and
building structure and wide variety of physical
substances and forces which directly or indirectly
regulate body mechanism and affect health.

 These include atmosphere, atmospheric pressures,

gravity, light and sound waves, temperature humidity,
wind, solar radiation etc. the variety of pollutant e.g. Air,
water, food and soil and are cause various health
problems.

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BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTS

 The biological environment is comprises of plant

and animal kingdom which help in maintaining the
ecosystem and thereby health of people.

 Most of the plants and animals are useful to human

beings and promote health but there are some
disease producing arthropods, insects, micro-
organisms, domestic and wild animals.

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 SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
 The social environment includes other people and social
institutions, socio-cultural events, religious beliefs, moral
and ethical values, and social rules and regulations
pertaining to living in the society, socio-economic
support system.

 Society helps individual to adjust in such social system

and become a useful and productive member of the
society.

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SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT…
 The individual develops certain practices which
will have positive and negative impact on health.

 The safe and sound environment can help people

develop their potentialities to maximum and attain
optimum health.

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3.LIFE STYLE

 Life style refers to people’s way of living which is

reflective of their knowledge, attitude and practices.

 It is composite of daily living activities, behavioral

and cultural practices including customs and
traditions.

 Life style is acquired through formal and informal

education.
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 Sound and disciplined life style promotes positive health
attitude and practices which in turn promote optimum
health.

 Many health problems are associated with various unsound

aspects of life style. For example numbers of contagious
and infectious diseases (scabies, trachoma, worm
infestation) are associated with unhygienic personal
practices.

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LIFESTYLE…
 Nutrition deficiency diseases and obesity with
defective dietary practices, chronic and acute non
communicable diseases are associated with
behavioral practices such as alcoholism, smoking,
sedentary life style etc.

 Maternal morbidity and mortality associated with

harmful traditional, cultural practices during
antenatal, natal, and postnatal period; child
morbidity and mortality associated with child
rearing practices.
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 4.HEALTH AND HEALTH
ALLIED RESOURCES

Health services

Socio-economic conditions

Political system

Health related services

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A. HEALTH SERVICES

 Health services are directly concerned with

improvement of health status of people.

 If these are available and accessible to people and if

these are utilize by them not only for therapeutic
purposes but also for preventive and promotive
purposes then it will have definite impact on health
status of community.

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 B. SOCIO-ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS
 Socio-economic conditions have significant influence
on community health.

 In developed countries there has been significant

reduction in the morbidity and mortality rate and
increase in longevity at birth because of socio-
economic developments.

 Socio-economic conditions include economic status,

education, occupation and living standard.
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 C. POLITICAL SYSTEM

 The political system has a very strong role in health

promotion of people in the country.

 The health care delivery system is determined by the

political system through there is constitutional control.

 Decisions pertaining to health policy, allocation of funds,

program, manpower development, infrastructure, health
technology and delivery of health services are made by
ruling party within the parliament system.

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 It is social and economic development together which
will help improve living standard, life style, and
environment and reduce illness and mortality and
promote optimum health.

 The political system needs to have a balanced

approach between national economy and social
development.

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 thank you

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