Essay On Health And Determinants Of Health

Introduction
The aim of this essay is to discuss the definition of health and determinants of health. It also aims to identify and examine some key issues related to social divisons; economic disparity; environmental and individual psychological factors and further explain how these can impact on health. This essay is supported by some of my own experiences.
Body
Many factors in recent world combine to together to affect the health of every individual and the community at large. According to World Health Organization (WHO), health involves “a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (WHO, 2007). The many factors which may include where we live, our social class, educational background, quality of physical environment, the level of emotional and physical support we receive from family and friends, our individual lifestyles such as smoking and exercising all have considerable impact on health and therefore can be classified as determinants of health (Dahlgren and Whitehead, 1991). The Commission on Social Determinant of health was set up by WHO in 2005

Report from the WHO “solid facts” states that even people from the most influential or developed country who are less fortunate have a significantly shorter life expectancy and several illnesses than the rich (WHO, 2003). This is also backed by a report from the Commission on Social determinant of health, which indicates that the life expectancy for men in very poor countries is lower compared to those in the richer part of the same country (Marmont, 2010). Men in the poorest parts of Glasgow are expected to have a life expectancy of 52 whiles those in the rich part of the city live up to 82 years of age (Marmot,