Question

What are social determinants of health? Explain how social determinants of health contribute to the development of disease. Describe the fundamental idea that the communicable disease chain model is designed to represent. Give an example of the steps a nurse can take to break the link within the communicable disease chain.

Resources within your text covering international/global health, and the websites in the topic materials, will assist you in answering this discussion question.

Answer 1

Social determinants of health include income and distribution,education,unemployment and job security,employment and working conditions,early childhood development,food insecurity,housing,housing,social exclusion,social safety network,health services,aborginal status,gender,race and disabilities.

The Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born ,grow ,live,work and age,including the health system.These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money,power and resources at global,national and local levels.The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities-the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.

Infection occurs in a cycle that depends on the presence of all of the following elements which includes

• An infectious agent
• A reservoir.
• A port of exit
• A mode of transmission.
• A port of entry
• A susceptible host.

A nurse can break the mode of transmission in the chain by

• promoting hand hygiene.
• personal protective equipment.
• food safety.
• isolation