Social Influences on Health & Well-being: A Comprehensive Portfolio Case Study

Section 1:Shn4023 Social Influences On Health And Well-being - Portfolio

Redbridge London, UK

• The demographics of Redbridge London, UK 
• Population: About 3.04 lakhs.
• Age Distribution: A considerable proportion of elderly people, families, and young professionals.
• Ethnic and cultural diversity is apparent, with a significant presence of Asian, Caucasian, and Indigenous Australian cultures, among other immigrant populations (Ang and Colic-Peisker, 2021)
• Economic Status: Varying, ranging from well-off professionals to lower-class households, with certain regions facing socioeconomic difficulties.
• Education Levels: Generally high, with a significant percentage of the population holding a postsecondary degree (Mitchell, Leachman and Saenz, 2019)

Infrastructure

Healthcare Facilities: Access to district hospitals other neighbourhood clinics, and specialised medical services in nearby metropolitan areas (Xu et al., 2019).

Transportation: Compared to metropolitan areas, suburban and rural areas have less developed public transit.

Educational Institutions: The area has a number of universities career training centres, and elementary and secondary schools(Shaturaev, 2021).

Recreational Facilities: Parks, beaches, athletic venues, and cultural hubs are all accessible to different degrees depending on the area.

Professional Networks

Medical Professionals: A potentially unevenly distributed network of general practitioners, specialists, and allied health professionals.

Community Services: A range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social work associations, and community groups that actively promote social support and health (Abiddin et al., 2022).

Governmental Involvement: Public health campaigns and support for community projects are examples of local government activities centred on health and welfare.

Breakdown the components

Obesity in UK

25.9% of adults in England has been estimated by the Health Survey for England 2021 to be obese, and another 37.9% to be overweight but not obese. Furthermore, a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more is considered obese (Naz et al., 2021). A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered "overweight". Serious Obesity diseases: Serious obesity diseases are potentially fatal ailments that affect 9% of adult Australians (Mohajan&Mohajan, 2023). Overweight and obese adults in England have increased from 52.9% to 64.3% since 1993, while the percentage of obese adults has increased from 14.9% to 28.0% (Commonslibrary.parliament.uk., 2023).

Clinical Depression in UK

Employees suffering from depression find it challenging to concentrate and participate in their daily work. In addition, it reduces their output and raises the expense of absenteeism (CO Daniel , 2019). Furthermore, the effects of depression can be so bad that workers find it difficult to function at all. In the UK, workplace depression causes 109 million missed workdays annually, costing businesses £9 billion (Weston, 2022).Depression's physical manifestations include speaking or moving slower than normal alterations in weight or appetite (usually decreased other than occasionally increased constipation mysterious aches and pains insufficient energy low desire to have sex (libido loss alterations to the menstrual cycle sleep disturbancessuch as having trouble falling asleep at night or waking up very early in the morning.

Wider determinants

The broader determinants of health are frequently connected. For instance, an unemployed person may be more likely to reside in subpar housing with limited access to green space and fresh, healthful food (Wong et al., 2020). This indicates that certain populations and groups have a higher likelihood of having poorer health than the overall population. The capacity of households, especially those who rent, to maintain their homes was significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, governments all throughout the United Kingdom implemented a number of housing assistance programmes to stop evictions during the pandemic. As a result, in 2020–2021there were approximately one-fifth fewer households obligated to fulfil a prevention duty than in the previous year (J Peterson, 2023).The number of households owed a relief duty was 6% higher than in 2019 to 2020, despite the fact that the decline in households owed a prevention duty led to an overall improvement in the homelessness indicator in 2020 to 2021. The "Everyone In" programme that required local governments to offer emergency housing to persons who were sleeping on the streets, sharing shelters, or were at risk of doing so, was largely to blame for this increase (Cefalo, Rose and Jolly, 2023) .

Section 2

Define the social factors

The framework provided by the social determinants of health (SDOH) is essential for comprehending the diverse elements that influence the welfare of both individuals and communities. According to the World Health Organization, social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-medical elements that affect health outcomes (Heidari et al., 2023). These factors include the environments in which people are born, develop, live, work, and age, as well as broader social, political, and economic forces that shape daily life.

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There is a direct correlation between health and socioeconomic position, which is frequently expressed by education, income, or occupation (Jacinth J. X., 2019). In general, there are health benefits associated with every level of socioeconomic advancement. On the other hand, a lower socioeconomic status can both cause and result in ill health. Given Daniel's family's circumstances, the parents' employment at a supermarket and a warehouse may be a reflection of their socioeconomic standing, which could have an impact on Daniel's care quality and their ability to access resources (Jacinth J. X., 2019).

Early Childhood Development: Establishing the groundwork for adult health requires attention to this critical time. Early life development physical, social, emotional, and cognitive has a big impact on a person's long-term health and wellbeing (Malti, 2020). For example, children from lower socioeconomic areas are more likely than those from higher socioeconomic areas to be developmentally susceptible. Daniel needs to pay close attention to this since his early experiences and relationships including his aunt's nurturing will have a lasting impact on his growth and health.

The state of a family's relationships has a big influence on people's physical and emotional well-being (Godini?&Obrenovic, 2020). Families that are safe and encouraging are good, but those that are characterized by abuse or neglect can be harmful (Thompson, 2017). Although Daniel's household seems to be a stable and encouraging setting, there are worries over the finding of injuries and the ensuing anxiety surrounding the social workers' visit. Being a part of a social network and feeling connected can be beneficial to one's health. In times of financial and material adversity, strong social ties can provide both practical and emotional assistance (Hill et al., 2020). Daniel's upbringing is greatly influenced by his extended family, with Aunt Amanda serving as the primary caregiver and serving as a symbol of the family's support structure and social network.

A person's physical and mental health can be greatly impacted by their employment status and working environment (Sharma & Vaish, 2020). While underemployment or unemployment can cause psychosocial stress that might negatively affect one's health, having a good job can boost one's self-esteem and present chances for social engagement and personal growth. Daniel's parents' job status which may include night shifts and part-time work may have an impact on their capacity to consistently give Daniel care and supervision, which could have an impact on Daniel's general wellbeing. The intricate interactions between these determinants shape the health and overall well-being of people such as Daniel. Knowing these variables can help him and his family's health outcomes by revealing possible hazards and protective factors in his surroundings and opening up new channels for support and intervention.

Discuss one relevant theory to explain its relevance and importance

Daniel and his family's case study can be thoroughly understood by using the functionalist theory to examine their overall health and well-being. Functionalism is a sociological theory that sees society as an intricate system with interconnected pieces that cooperate to foster solidarity and stability (Wandi et al., 2021). It approaches society from the perspective of how its components such as institutions, conventions, and customs work, comparing them to the organs of a human body.

Functionalism can be applied to the case study to examine Daniel's family's duties and responsibilities and how they support the family's well-being and social stability. According to this view, disease is a type of deviance that interferes with a society's ability to operate socially (Aftab & Rashed, 2020). Daniel's physical well-being and growth are crucial to the family's overall functioning. Aunt Amanda's concern for the bruises and the social services' subsequent engagement can be interpreted as a way to deal with this deviation and bring the family's social function back.

The functionalist viewpoint highlights the significance of every family member's function (Georgakakis et al., 2019). Aunt Amanda, who looks after the kids, and Daniel's parents, who work different shifts, all support the family's social structure and financial stability. Their overlapping responsibilities guarantee that Daniel's demands are satisfied while upholding the family's general functioning. According to the theory, every family member plays a crucial part in the stability of the group, and any interruption (such as Daniel's possible health issue) needs to be addressed to keep the family functioning and harmonious.

Functionalism also emphasizes how institutions and society norms shape family dynamics and health (Marmot, 2016). Social norms around child care, family support, and parental duties are at work in this situation. Social services' intervention is an illustration of an institutional response to a possible departure from these norms (Daniel's health issue) to ensure the kid's well-being and the family's observance of social norms around child care and safety.

The theory's emphasis on the family as a unit, whose members carry out distinct tasks that support the family's general stability and well-being, makes it relevant in this situation (Mcgregor, 2020). It aids in comprehending how families operate as a unit within the greater social context and how societal institutions, such as social services, respond to disruptions in this unit such as health issues in order to restore equilibrium and guarantee the wellbeing of all family members, particularly Daniel and other vulnerable members.

Conclusion,

using functionalist theory to analyze the case study sheds light on how institutional interventions, societal norms, and family roles interact to affect the health and wellbeing of each member of the family as well as the family as a whole. It emphasizes how important it is for each family member to play a part in preserving the family's stability as well as how institutions and outside forces support social standards and take care of health issues.

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