Health determinants Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health determinants - Assignment Example The patient encountered hardships as a result of his lack of income. He was unable to provide for his daily needs, which was accelerated by rising cost of living. He was not able to acquire basic education due to his lack of finances and therefore could not cope with the demands of the current job market. Such people are discriminated against in his society and would not be considered for leadership positions. Consequently, this socio-economic instability also affected the patient’s ability to establish and support his own family. Moreno and Warah (2007) state that a significant proportion of the world’s population lack access to a proper living environment. The physical environment in which the patient lived exposed him to health hazards and stress, leaving him without adequate shelter and clothing. This is a significant determinant of health as the patient was not protected from hostile environmental conditions such as rain and mosquito bites, among other harmful issues. Moreover, personal hygiene cannot be maintained without proper shelter and access to safe food and water. Individual risk factors also determine the overall health status of a person. For example, the patient turned to substance abuse as a mechanism of coping with his stress. Maurer and Smith (2013) argue that emotionally stressed people accelerate their demise through a lack of understanding their predicament and by engaging in negative behavior. Stressed individuals tend to seek self-gratification through undignified behavior especially when they lack money and resources. They tend to abuse illicit drugs that are easily obtained through the black market. The patient had a long history of abusing substances such as cannabis sativa and resin. Although these substances made the condition worse, the patient used them as stimulants. Jacobsen (2014) postulates that a minor change in a social system might influence the entire system; therefore, it should not be ignored. It is important for