Determinants Of Health

Purpose

This week’s graded topics relate to the following Course Outcome (CO).

• CO 1: Apply principles of nursing theory to the public health system by analyzing determinants of health and the public health intervention wheel. (PO 1)

Discussion

What are some factors that make some people healthy and others ill? Healthy People 2020 identifies five determinants of health that influence the health of individuals and populations. Healthy People 2020 describes them as “a range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018, About Determinants of Health, para. 1). Determinants fall into five categories, including (a) policy making, (b) social factors, (c) health services, (d) individual behavior, and (e) biology and genetics.

• Go to the Determinants of Health link at https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health (Links to an external site.), and click on each determinant to read about it.
• Choose one of the five determinants other than individual behavior (as we are all aware of how individual behavior impacts health). In your post, describe this determinant and its importance.
• Discuss how a community health nurse (CHN) could use one of the 17 intervention categories from the Public Health Intervention Wheel to address this determinant (Nies & McEwen, 2019).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018). Healthy People 2020: About Determinants of Health. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health

Professor’s comment: Hello Class, please consider the following questions this week and share your responses in discussion.

1. What changes would need to happen in the community for the determinant of health you chose to improve? How might nurses be involved in those changes?
2. How would the actions you might take as a community health nurse be different from or similar to the actions you might take in your current nursing role?
3. What consequences would the community face if the determinant of health you chose does not improve?
4. How does this topic relate to one or more of the essential public health services discussed in the Nies and McEwen text?

Thanks,

Dr. Petko

Reference: American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2019). Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (7 ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.