Determinants of Health
- jeffrideout0
- Jun 11, 2019
- 2 min read
“It is clear that in spite of having a universal adequate health insurance system, inequities associated with income persist in Canada.” (Bonner, et al).
Some believe that a universal health care system with access for all Canadians will provide the same level of health for all Canadians; we know that this is not true. Several inequities exist in Canada. Social determinants of health also play a large role in our perceived level of health. We know social determinants of health can include income, genetics, policy making, etc. Each of these factors will affect our population differently. Based on information from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (n.d.), Newfoundland and Labrador ranks below average in levels of obesity, heavy drinking and smoking. All the social determinants of health will play a role in our health as individuals and as a province as a whole.
“Since self-perceived health status within a population can affect medical service utilization and mortality rates, it is critical that policymakers identify and employ measures to alleviate the negative effects of these factors on individuals’ self-perceived health status.” (Bonner, et al). If we believe as a group that our way of life, such as heavy drinking, smoking and obesity are normal we will not seek medical service. Our perceived health may differ from many other provinces.
I believe we must look at policy change to look at our determinants of health as a society but also our inequities such as income. Universal health care is something all Canadians are proud of, however, there is always room for improvement.
References:
Bonner, W., Weiler, R., Orisatoki, R., Lu, X., Andkhoie, M., Ramsay, D., …Farag, M. (2017) Determinants of self-perceived health for Canadians aged 40 and older and policy implications. Internation Journal for Equity in Health. 16 (94-98).
Canadian Institute for Health Information (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.cihi.ca/en/an-in-depth-look-at-the-newfoundland-and-labrador-health-care-system
Komentarze