W2 - Determinants of Health and Wellbeing PDF

W2 - determinants of health and wellbeing Friday, 8 March 2024 2:06 pm How healthy are Australians: Australians these days are living longer lives then before, yet half of us are living with at least one chronic condition - Such as arthritis, asthma, backpain, CVD, diabetes and metal health Being a...

W2 - determinants of health and wellbeing Friday, 8 March 2024 2:06 pm How healthy are Australians: Australians these days are living longer lives then before, yet half of us are living with at least one chronic condition - Such as arthritis, asthma, backpain, CVD, diabetes and metal health Being a leading cause of ill health AIHW explains that it is strongly linked to lifestyle choices - Such as insufficient physical activity, smoking and alcohol - However and individuals health and wellbeing is more complex then just lifestyle factors alone. How does the health of Australians compare to other countries: Income: - Occurring to OECD Australia had the 7th lowest rate of daily smoking for people aged 15+ - 9th highest life expectancy for males and the 7th highest for females - 5th highest obesity rate (out of 23 countries) for people 15+ - Australia ranks poorly with regard to alcohol consumption -> Excessive alcohol consumption: - Regular over consumption of alcohol places an increased risk of chronic ill health and premature death. - Heavy drinking can also cause the drinker and others at risk of injury or death - Higher total annual household income is associated with a higher prevalence of lifetime alcohol risk for both genders. Understanding the determinants of health: River analogy/Healthcare river: - Used to emphasis the limitations of solely focusing on downstream treatment in healthcare. - The individuals that are falling into the river downstream represent people with healthcare condition - This analogy highlights that only treating people downstream doesn’t address the root causes upstream. The upstream factors represent the social determinants of health ▪ Such as socioeconomic status, education, and environmental conditions. - This analogy highlights that only treating people downstream doesn’t address the root causes upstream. The upstream factors represent the social determinants of health ▪ Such as socioeconomic status, education, and environmental conditions. - Its crucial that downstream treatments and upstream interventions are both involved to create lasting improvements in community and societal health