HEALTH

Definition of Determinant of Health

“Any factor, whether event, characteristic, or other definable entity, that brings about change in a health condition or other defined characteristic.”(Last, 1995)

Individual Factors
(age, gender, size, appearance, personality, physical & emotional state)

A Housing

• (Some Issues  - Overcrowding, Number of Rooms, “Sick Building Syndrome”,        surrounding environment, for eg. Near land-fill, Water & Electricity supplies)
• Improvements in housing and improved mental health and general health
• The possibility of improved housing leading to rent rises, impacting negatively on     health.
• Movement of original tenants after housing improvement and therefore not benefiting from the improvements.
• Housing tenure, outdoor temperature, indoor air quality, dampness, housing design, rent subsidies, relocation, allergens and dust mites, home accident prevention, and fire prevention.
• Homelessness.

B - Environment              

•     All that which is external to the individual human host.
•     Can be divided into physical, biological, social, cultural, etc
•    Any or all of these can influence health status of populations (Weather, Population density,
•     Pollution of the habitat, Housing, Public transport and health facilities)

C - Educational level

•     Most research studies reveal that there is a direct relationship between educational level and positive health outcomes
•      Explanation
•      Formal
•      Informal including education into a religious, ethnic or professional sub-culture

D - Accessibility to Health Services

•    Plays an important part to ensure accessibility to medical care especially when people are sick for curative care
•      Can be public or private health care facilities
•     Current policy ensures health services is easily available except for those in remote areas for eg. The Orang Asli Community and those in Sabah & Sarawak

E - Cultural Influences

F - Socio-economic Status

G - Transport

•          Accidents between motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians (particularly children     and young people)
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•          Pollution from burning fossil fuels such as particulates and ozone
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•          Noise from transportation
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•          Public Health/Community Health is an integral part of Medicine
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•          Environmental Health is part or a sub-discipline of PH
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•          Environment is also a Determinant of Health

H - Food & Agriculture

 I - Waste

J - Urbanization