Determinants of Health and Environmental Health Issue: An Assessment

The health of individuals and populations is determined by a number of factors that act together and depend on one another. Collectively, these determinants of health span social, economic, societal, biological/genetic, and environmental factors. The World Health Organization has identified the following to be those determinants of health that have the most significant impact on the health of individuals and populations.

• Income and social status
• Education
• Physical environment
• Social support networks
• Genetics
• Health services
• Gender

These broadly categorized determinants of health are all connected and each can be impacted by changes in one or another. Many environmental health issues arise from, are exacerbated by, or influence the ability to realize, the other determinants of health. It is important that the determinants of health be considered whenever you’re addressing an environmental health issue as it is infrequent that the environmental issue is the sole driver of a health impact.

For this assignment, we would like you to choose an environmental health issue that is associated with a physical, chemical or biological hazard, and provide a detailed assessment regarding how your chosen environmental issue is influenced by and influences the determinants of health (as identified by either the WHO or PHAC).

Start this assignment with a brief overview demonstrating that you have a clear understanding of the connections between your issue and all of the determinants of health. Discuss the relative strength of the associations between your issue and each of these determinants.

You must then proceed with a written discussion that focuses in detail on two specific determinants of health and how they specifically affect and are affected by the chosen environmental health issue.  Your written discussion should demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of the interconnectedness of the issue and the DOH discussed.

While your chosen environmental health issue may be broad, we would like you to focus the discussion in the context of a particular region or community as the primary example for your argument. Your arguments should generally be supported by peer-reviewed literature.

The assignment should be a 7 page (maximum), 1.5 spaced, written discussion. The 7-page limit does not include references, but does include any additional figures or tables you chose to include.

1. Introduces the environmental health issue, discussing why and where it is an issue, and whom it affects.

2. Excellent: the description is clear, concise and demonstrates that there is a comprehensive understanding of the issue chosen.

3. Very good: the description is clear and concise and demonstrates that there is a good understanding of the chosen issue.

Environmental Health Issue and Determinants of Health

4. Good: a reasonable description of the issue is provided and there is demonstration of a good understanding of the chosen issue.

5. Acceptable: Description and understanding of the issue are present, but do not demonstrate that there is a sound understanding of the issue.

Excellent: Overview clearly displays the strength and direction of associations between chosen issue and the DOH. It is well supported by appropriate evidence, clearly reflects and supports the arguments made in rest of the assignment, and is concise.

Good: Overview displays the strength and direction of associations between chosen issue and the DOH. It is supported by appropriate evidence and reflects and supports the arguments made in rest of the assignment.

Acceptable: Overview displays the strength or direction of associations between chosen issue and the DOH. Itis tenuously supported by evidence and loosely relates to the arguments made in rest of the assignment. The overview is lacking in brevity.

Summarizes the connection between the issue and the determinants of health in the context of a particular region or community.

Excellent: extensive understanding of how the chosen issue affects and is affected by other determinants of health. The region chosen optimally demonstrates the highlighted interactions between the issue and the DOH.

Very good: clear understanding of how the chosen issue affects and is affected by the determinants of health. The region chosen is appropriate for demonstrating the interactions between the chosen issue and the DOH.

Good: clear understanding of how the chosen issue affects and is affected by certain determinants of health. The region chosen is appropriate for demonstrating the interactions between the chosen issue and the DOH.

Acceptable: limited understanding of how the chosen issue affects and is affected by certain determinants of health. The region chosen tenuously highlights the interactions between the chosen issue and the DOH.

Excellent: Few spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. Ideas are clearly conveyed, and concise.

Very good: Minor spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. Ideas are well conveyed, and reasonably concise.

Good: Spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are present. The main ideas can be understood, but are not always clearly presented. Writing is a bit wordy, and could be more concise.

Acceptable: Numerous spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. The main ideas are unclear, and the writing structure needs work to eliminate unnecessary content.

Acceptable: All cited work is properly referenced using an accepted citation style. Appropriate references are used when citing evidence, facts or past studies.

Not acceptable: References are not properly conveyed to the reader. Text in the submission that should be referenced, is not. References in text do not match references in the literature-cited section. References used do not contain the information that is cited in the assignment.