Determinants of Health

• Education


  The process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits
• Education is a basic human right
• Education


  • Shapes lives as it is the pathway to lifting people out of poverty
  • Reducing socioeconomic and political inequalities
• Having a low educational attainment is linked with poor health paired with more stress and lower self confidence
• Education as a Determinant of Health

  • Creates opportunities for better health through health behaviors
  • Income/resources
  • Stable employment
  • Adequate housing
• Importance of Education in Health & Development

  • Enables individuals to make credible and informed health-related decisions for themselves and their families
  • Equips them with essential skills like literacy and cognitive ability leading them to more accurate health beliefs and knowledge
  • Resulting to better lifestyle choices
• Income/Resources


  Proper education opens doors to better employment opportunities, placing individuals in a stronger financial position. This enables them to access quality healthcare and other resources essential for maintaining good health.
• Water & Sanitation


  The most basic human need for health and well-being
• Water has become scarce in many countries. Water-borne diseases account for a large population of mortality and morbidity, especially in developing countries.
• Common water-borne diseases in the Philippines: Typhoid, Diarrhea, Cholera, and Hepatitis A
• Poor sanitation leads to water contamination due to sewage and human waste
• 53% of households in the Philippines lack access to a safely managed water supply and 39% lack safe sanitation

  
• Commodification of water


  Whereby it is provided for profit rather than as a public service
• Employment


  • An occupation by which a person earns a living
  • A formal agreement between an employer and an employee, where an employee offers their skills, time and expertise in exchange for compensation
• Importance of Employment


  • Provides substantial benefits to both personal and societal health
  • Affects other social determinants of health
  • Affects the development and growth of the country, as such, some companies provide health insurance as a benefit for employees
• Housing


  • The availability, affordability, and stability of living spaces
  • Provides protection, shelter, and privacy to individuals and families
• Inadequate housing conditions may lead to diseases, infections, and mental stress
• Poor housing conditions include molds, pest infestation, poor location (near polluted areas), and overcrowding
• Importance of Housing


  • Safe and adequate housing directly impacts an individual's physical health
  • Safe and maintained homes reduce the risk of injuries, diseases, and mental stress
  • It also provides a sense of security and stability which positively affects mental health
  • It also encourages individuals to participate in education, work, and economic activities promoting economic activity
• Improved housing conditions can also contribute to achieving several Sustainable Development goals, mainly addressing SDG 3 and SDG 11
• Roles of Employment in Health and Development

  • Provides a stable income which allows individuals to afford the basic necessities
  • Allows individuals to have access to health insurance benefits, essential healthcare services, preventive care and treatment for illness and injuries
  • Offers opportunities for skill development, training and advancement
• Work Related Stress

  • Occurs for various reasons. Job demands, working long hours, tight deadlines, etc. can lead to work related stress
  • Chronic disease can happen when there is a constant feeling of being pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time
• Bullying and Harassment

  • Bullying, harassment, discrimination, or overall toxic work environment can have severe psychological effects on people
  • People would develop mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and other mental health related issues which would affect their well-being
• Occupational Hazards


  • Risks associated with working in specific conditions
  • Types of Hazards: Chemical, Biological, Psychosocial, Physical
• Genetics


  The study of heredity and how traits are passed on from one generation to the next via inheritance
• Importance of Genetics


  • Carry information about what makes us unique as individuals, why family members look alike, and why certain diseases run in families
  • Understand how inheritance plays a significant role in determining the lifespan, healthiness, and likelihood of developing certain illnesses
  • Understand how medical conditions come to be and the corresponding appropriate treatments
• Role of Genetics in Health and Development

  • Genetics are directly involved in human growth, specifically growth genes that are divided into major growth genes and minor growth genes
  • Genetics is often one of the strongest risk factors for common disease complexes such as cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and psychiatric illnesses
• Genetic Disorders


  Occur when a mutation (a harmful change to a gene, also known as a pathogenic variant) affects your genes or when you have the wrong amount of genetic material
• Types of Genetic Disorders

  • Chromosomal
  • Single-gene (Monogenic)
  • Complex (multifactorial)
• Food Production


  The different methods and processes involved in converting raw commodities into food products for human consumption
• Importance of Food Production in Health and Development

  • Ensures that population demands and nutritional requirements are met without causing environmental risks and economic burdens on future generations
  • Affects food security, adequate nutrition, and food safety
  • Enables market access and productivity which facilitates economic growth
• Food Security


  A state where "all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences"
• Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of infectious diseases, chronic health conditions, and poor oral health in adults, and poor development, compromised immunity, rapid weight loss and early death in children
• Adequate Nutrition


  • Food production makes food accessible and available, which paves the way for diets that cater to different nutritional needs
  • Prevents malnutrition, chronic diseases, and non-communicable diseases
  • Packaged foods enable better access to food containing critical nutrients
• Addressing malnutrition requires a holistic approach of optimizing our food system which involves improving maternal, infant and child health, developing dietary guidelines, regulating food environment, and intersectoral collaboration
• Food Safety


  Food and water are major sources of chemical and biological hazards resulting in health complications
• Unsafe food causes 600 million cases of foodborne diseases and 420,000 deaths yearly, with 30% of deaths occurring among children under 5 years old
• Causative agents of foodborne disease outbreaks in the Philippines (2005 – June 2018) include Salmonella spp., Salmonella enteritidis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Escherichia coli, Henipavirus, and Entamoeba histolytica
• Social and Economic Growth

  • Food production enables market access and productivity which facilitates economic growth
• Guidelines


  • Regulating food environment (labeling, taxes, advertising)
  • Intersectoral collaboration