The Essay On Social Discrimination's Impact On Health Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islanders In Australia.

Choose a social determinant of health (SDH) that has been discussed in this unit

Choose a population from a culture other than your own, that is susceptible to, or protected from, health problems due to this social determinant ( e.g. lower caste families in India, families living under the poverty line in a western country such as Australia/UK/USA, young women in Pakistan, children in Afghanistan, Syrian refugees, persecuted or ethnic minorities in other countries, elderly population of Okinawa Japan,)

Explain what is a social determinant of health, (using your own words, not just a quotation), with reference to the literature? Name the social determinant and population you have selected.

Analyse the impacts of your chosen social determinant of health on the selected population using evidence from the literature.

Discuss how the negative health impacts associated with your selected SDH could be addressed to improve the health of this population or how the health enhancing aspects of your selected SDH could be used to improve the health of others.

Social Determinants of Health

This essay recognizes and discusses the main health determinant which is affecting health among a selected population. Reorganization of the main factors influencing health among the population is essential to decrease health disparities and enhancing the health status of people. Social determining factor of health are the societal and economic aspects and their dispersal among the population that influences the differences in health status in individual and community level (Pacquiao, 2016). The societal elements of health are accountable for health inequalities. These are factors present in living and employed conditions of an individual, instead of individual risk elements (Rubin, 2016). According to the World Health Organization, the societal determinants of wellbeing can be shaped by social policies. The uneven distribution of health-declining conditions is a consequence of a toxic combination of economic imbalance, deprived social policies and degraded politics. The suggested determinants of health are social gradients, social exclusion, education, early childhood development, unemployment, social support, stress, food insecurity, race, gender, addiction, and disability. These social determinants of health are evidently associated with health outcomes, are firmly tied to social policies, and are undoubtedly understandable by the people (Social determinants of health, 2017).

The social determinants of health are likely to cluster together, for instance, families living under the poverty line or people facing social discrimination also experience several other hostile social determinants. Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders (ATSI) has the poorest health status in Australia. The last projected ATSI resident population of Australia was 669,900 inhabitants which represent three percent of the entire Australian population as at 30 June 2011 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Government, 2017). Social discrimination of the ATSI people is the major cause of poor health outcome. This essay will talk about the relation between social discrimination associated with heath of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders and approaches to decrease this disparity.

The relation between incidents of discrimination and inferior physical and psychological wellbeing is identified (Kelaher, Ferdinand, & Paradies, 2014). There are several trails from discrimination to deprived health, comprising inadequate access to public resources, for instance accommodation, education, unemployment and health services; unequal acquaintance to risk factors comprising trauma and cortisol dysregulation distressing psychosomatic wellbeing (depression and anxiety), cardiovascular, endocrine, immune system, and other physiological structures; and damage from ethnically encouraged assaults. Nationally and internationally conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have revealed a strong relationship between experiences of social discrimination and poor health outcome, mental disorders, psychological agony, and risky behavioral responses like substance abuse (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014). Chronic experience of social discrimination leads to extreme stress conditions which are a recognized cause of inflammations, obesity, and chronic disorders (Egger, 2014)

Health Disparities Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Exploration of the 2012 to 2013 Health Surveys shown that Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders with high to extremely high intensities of psychosomatic suffering were 1.8 times as likely to have kidney diseases and 1.3 times as likely to suffer from circulatory diseases. According to the Health Survey of 2012 to 2013, sixteen percent of ATSI Australians stated that they were treated poorly in the former twelve months for the reason that they are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. Further investigations have shown self-reported revelations of social discrimination among ATSI people range from sixteen to ninety-seven percent reliant on the traits of discrimination examined (Paradies, Truong, & Priest, 2014). A research on 755 Aboriginal Victorian people described that almost ninety-seven percent participants had experienced at least an individual episode of racism in the previous twelve months, with thirty-five percent people experienced a resist event within the preceding month (Ferdinand, Paradies, & Kelaher, 2013). 

A current inspection directed by the Beyondblue (2017), to achieve insight into racial approaches and views of non-Indigenous Australians (between 25 to 44 years of age group) concerning Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders of Australia. This survey found a broad deficiency of responsiveness about discriminatory behaviors together with the prevalent acceptance that activities such as occupational discrimination are reflected as an unconscious action by the offender. Main discoveries of this survey shown that social discrimination is usually observed with forty percent people avoid Indigenous Australians on public transports by seeing others and thirty-eight percent watching verbal mistreatment of ATSI people. Practically one- third (thirty-one percent) of the non-indigenous Australians observed employment discrimination against Indigenous people of Australia and nine percent confessed that they themselves involved in employment discriminate. One in four (twenty-five percent) of the non-indigenous population disagree that social discrimination can have a harmful personal impact for the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. Beyond half, (fifty-six percent) of the non-indigenous Australians believed that being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander makes it tougher to prosper in life. Several non-indigenous Australians believed that it is acceptable to discriminate indigenous people, with twenty-one percent stating that they would go away from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders if they take an adjacent seat, and twenty-one percent would watch the activities of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders when shopping.

The study of Ferdinand et al. (2013), shown that two-third (sixty-seven percent) of Indigenous people of Australia who contributed in the assessment stated being spat at or having objects thrown at them, and eighty-four percent Indigenous Australians informed being cursed at or orally ill-treated. This survey additionally revealed that approximately twenty-nine percent of contributors experienced discrimination in healthcare settings, forty-two percent of employment, thirty-five percent of residents, and sixty-seven percent in markets. Results of numerous research and surveys pointed out the common responses after experiencing discrimination is to avoid alike circumstances. In the report of Health Survey (2012-2013), thirty-five percent of Indigenous Australians who had been treated poorly stated that they generally reacted to social discrimination by escaping the offender or similar situations. This embraces implications across education (Priest, Perry, Ferdinand, Paradies, & Kelaher, 2014), work sectors (Biddle, 2013), well-being and health outcomes (Kelaher, Ferdinand, & Paradies, 2014).

The Relationship Between Social Discrimination and Poor Health

The health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populace of Australia is inferior in comparison to the rest of the Australian population due to social discrimination.  A huge inequality gap is present in Australia across all statistics of Indigenous people. The research found that there is an estimated gap of almost seventeen years of life expectancy among Indigenous and non-Indigenous in Australia. For all age groups less than sixty-five years, the age-specific expiry rates for Indigenous population are twice than the non-Indigenous Australians. Social discrimination prevents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from having an equivalent prospect to be as healthy as non-Indigenous Australians (Kelaher, Ferdinand, & Paradies, 2014). The comparative socio-economic drawbacks experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders compared to non-Indigenous individuals puts them at bigger risks of exposure to behavioral and environmental health risk factors (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014).

The disparity in the healthiness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is associated with social discrimination. This situation arises through the isolation from the mainstream facilities and lesser access to health amenities, along with primary health care, and insufficient facility of health infrastructures (Paradies, Truong, & Priest, 2014). Deprived health outcomes due to social discrimination are avoidable as well as systematic.  Over the past decade, there have been some improvements in decreasing the disparity gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians but these improvements are not sufficient for closing the gap. More progress is required in case of long-term measures like life expectancy. Even though enhancements were observed on some aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues, they are not equivalent to the fast health improvements done for the common Australian inhabitants. The effectiveness of healthcare incorporates responses of both medical professionals and patients. Therefore, interventions for diminishing discrimination must be focused on medical professionals, patients, and their interactions. Further causes of bias are implanted in the healthcare settings and necessitate structural modification. Applicable guidelines that address the different causes of bias can decrease ethnic discriminations in health care system. (Penner, Blair, Albrecht, & Dovidio, 2014).

The negative impacts of social discrimination can be reduced by human right based approaches. Establishment of fundamental principles to conduct development of policies so that ATSI individuals are not socially discriminated. They should also be provided with opportunities, conserving their distinct cultural status. These approaches should be recognized as non-discriminatory and legitimate. Setting up specific curriculums for ATSI communities for addressing inequality can effectively reduce social discrimination. Human right based approaches establish that the responsibility of government is to protect, respect, and satisfy the right to health. This strategy requires governments functioning in partnership with ATSI communities for approaching these discrimination problems in a targeted method and fulfilling the projected goals. These approaches establish benchmarks against which to evaluate health policies and program interventions to confirm that facilities are apposite, reachable, obtainable, sufficient quality, and that the services do not fall beneath the minimum necessary level of privileges. Human right based approaches also highlight that governmental administrations have farm duties to assure that the right to health will be implemented deprived of discrimination of ATSI people and to take deliberated, actual and targeted strategies towards the right to health (Australian Human Rights Commission | everyone, everywhere, everyday, 2017). Thus, human right based approaches are essential for reducing social discrimination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Current Research Findings on Discrimination and Health Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

By addressing the negative health impacts associated with social discrimination can aid to construct strategies for upgrading the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Strategies should address both individual and institutional causes of bias and discrimination. Strategies should also search for enhancing the behavior of people, as well as their inspiration and ability to encourage other individuals, and not be restricted to efforts to upsurge awareness and cognizance. Discriminations and prejudices are socially influenced, as a consequence, changing people’s behavior may necessitate the support of social workers. Approaches must be part of a constant set of learning events that are appreciated and integrated during the course of the schools, colleges, or other organizations. Strategies must involve kids at their early ages, and new participants to organizations should be persistently reinforced and encouraged. The greatest method for improving racial and ethnic affairs encompasses the establishment of prospects for progressive interactions among individuals from diverse communities. These strategies are highly effective when supportive activities are included, as it ensures that individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds can function harmoniously (Teaching Tolerance - Diversity, Equity and Justice, 2017)

Conclusion

Discrimination exists in contrary to the most fundamental ethics of the modern civilization. Social discrimination frames a danger to the society, as well as to the person who is exposed to such an unfavorable treatment as it is a direct denial of the similar value of the victims. It is an infringement of a man's existence and humanity. The outcomes of social discrimination directly impact health also diminishing mental prosperity. The governmental administration should establish regulations, and society should also construct organizations and awareness programs to create a better nation free of discrimination.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Government. (2017). Abs.gov.au. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au

Australian Human Rights Commission | everyone, everywhere, everyday. (2017). Humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/

Beyondblue. (2017). Beyondblue.org.au. Retrieved from https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Biddle, N. (2013). Comparing self perceived and observed labour market discrimination in Australia. Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 32(3), 383-394.

Egger, E. E. (2014). Bodies and Stories: Toward a New Narrative of Reproductive Injustice in 1990s Peru. New York: Sarah Lawrence College.

Ferdinand, A., Paradies, Y., & Kelaher, M. (2013). Mental health impacts of racial discrimination in Victorian Aboriginal communities . Melbourne: Lowitja Institute.

Kelaher, M., Ferdinand, A., & Paradies, Y. (2014). Experiencing racism in health care: the mental health impacts for Victorian Aboriginal communities. The Medical Journal of Australia, 201(1), 44-47.

Pacquiao, D. (2016). Social Determinants of Health. Global Healthcare: Issues and Policies, 159.

Paradies, Y., Truong, M., & Priest, N. (2014). A systematic review of the extent and measurement of healthcare provider racism. Journal of general internal medicine, 29(2), 364-387.

Penner, L. A., Blair, I. V., Albrecht, T. L., & Dovidio, J. F. (2014). Reducing racial health care disparities: a social psychological analysis. Policy insights from the behavioral and brain sciences, 1(1), 204-212.

Priest, N., Perry, R., Ferdinand, A., Paradies, Y., & Kelaher, M. (2014). Experiences of racism, racial/ethnic attitudes, motivated fairness and mental health outcomes among primary and secondary school students. Journal of youth and adolescence, 43(10), 1672-1687.

Rubin, I. L. (2016). Social Determinants of Health. In Health Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities across the Lifespan, 1919-1932.

Short, D. (2016). Reconciliation and colonial power: Indigenous rights in Australia. New York: Routledge.

Social determinants of health. (2017). World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/

Teaching Tolerance - Diversity, Equity and Justice. (2017). Tolerance.org. Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/

Truong, M., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. BMC health services research, 14(1), 99.