Module 4 Section 1

Question 1

the gap in global health and social determinants of health

Answer 1

• The SDHs are closely related to the gap in global health.
• In 2005, the Closing the Gap Commission was set up by the WHO as a call for action to address these social issues and achieve global health equity

Question 2

communicating about global health

Answer 2

• In order to demonstrate global health status and show that health inequities exist, scientific data is used as evidence.
• Advocacy involves communicating scientific data to inform awareness about global health issues

Question 3

the gap in global health

Answer 3

• The gap in global health can be described as the health inequities that exist between wealthy and impoverished populations.
• Populations with the lowest income have high levels of illness and premature mortality
• Notice the disease gradient; the low-income countries have more deaths associated with each disease

Question 4

life expectancy across the globe

Answer 4

• One example of a gap in global health is the stark difference in life expectancy at birth.
• Life expectancy at birth varies depending on the country you are born in. In 2018, the lowest average life expectancy for any country was 53 years, while the highest was 85

Question 5

social determinants of health

Answer 5

• The gap in global health exists because of social determinants.
• The social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people grow, live, work, and age, and their accessibility to healthcare, all of which allow them to deal with illness.

Question 6

social determinants of health that impact health on an individual level

Answer 6

• Unemployment and Job Security
• Gender
• Indigenous Status
• Disability
• Housing
• Early Life
• Income and Income Distribution
• Education
• Race
• Employment and Working Conditions
• Social Exclusion
• Food Insecurity
• Social Safety Net
• Health Services

Question 7

social gradient

Answer 7

• In Module 01, you learned that as wealth increases so does health, in a stepwise fashion. Consistently, it is observed that individuals living in extreme poverty have worse health compared to those who are wealthy. This concept is called the social gradient and is a global phenomenon that occurs both between and within countries.
• Poverty can affect health both directly and indirectly. When living in poverty, it is challenging for individuals to buy healthy foods, or attain clean and safe living conditions, negatively impacting their underlying health. Other indirect consequences of poverty include the stressors that are placed on individuals; which can include the mental burden of financial stress, and the feeling of lacking support.
• As you might recall from Module 01, there are a number of health-promoting conditions that are lacking in Indigenous communities in Canada. The social gradient is found across the globe and Indigenous populations are not exempt. For example, in 2009 the unemployment rate for Indigenous People in Canada was double that of the general population. Of those that found employment, the majority were labour intensive positions. Consider the effect that this would have on health

Question 8

closer look into social gradient

Answer 8

• The work environment plays a crucial role in the perpetuation of the social gradient. Just having a job and earning an income does not guarantee that people will experience greater health outcomes. In the study illustrated in the figure, those who are employed can be further broken down into various “social classes” based on education level and occupational position (management versus front-line). Of these individuals, the lowest income earners tend to work more labour intensive jobs that contribute to poor health, and this is often attributed to the role and contribution of various physical and psychosocial working conditions
• Notice how the lower social classes tend to work in fields and hold jobs that are more dangerous (i.e. more prone to injuries), more physically demanding, and have inflexible work hours. As you can imagine, such working conditions are less conductive to good health

Question 9

the poverty trap

Answer 9

• The poverty trap is the mechanism that explains how individuals who are in poverty are trapped in poverty unless an external force intervenes by providing them with a significant amount of money and resources.
• The actions of those who are in poverty become self-reinforcing mechanisms that will keep them in poverty.
• For instance, if an individual working a low-paying job increases their working hours to make money for essential needs, they are more likely to get sick and have less time to improve their skills for a better job

Question 10

GDP per capita across the globe

Answer 10

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Gross domestic product is an annual monetary measure of all the goods and services produced by a country
• Every country has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• The GDP is divided by a country’s population to get the GDP per capita.
• This measure is used as a comparative measure of economy and standard of living between countries. Values are normally presented in $U S currency