i have posted my question
Assessment Description: Essay – 30% You are required to identify and critically evaluate any one of the following current challenges to health care in Australia: a. Ageing population b. Health inequality among Australians c. Mental Health d. Drug and Alcohol misuse. Select two to three main issues • Provide evidence taken from a wide range of sources. Try to identify sources that agree and those which might have different view points • Do you agree with these points? why/why not? • Come to a final conclusion about your chosen health care challenge, basing your decision on what you judge to be the most important factors Main requirements of essay Essay structure: Introduction 1. General statement: Engages the reader in the topic A statement about the challenge that will capture the reader’s attention (eg for ageing, a statement about the ageing population of the world) 2. Background: Gives general context of the topic What would you include here? 3. Thesis statement: Carries the main idea What is/are the challenges to health care in Australian in relation to this issue? 4. Scope/outline: Outlines the direction “map” Outline the main issues that will be covered under the chosen challenge Essay structure: Body paragraphs Each paragraph in your essay: 1. Topic sentence: main idea of the paragraph A paragraph (at least) for each of your main issues, with a topic sentence that identifies what that paragraph will be about 2. Evidence: support the topic sentence – from readings 3. Summarising sentence: restates topic sentence and ties whole paragraph together. Brings the key ideas of the paragraph together, may link directly to the next paragraph if possible Each paragraph has its own focus (idea): If there is more than one main idea in the paragraph, start a new paragraph Essay structure: Conclusion Synthesis of ideas • Drawing all of your key ideas together to summarise your viewpoint(s) • No new information is presented • If there is new information it should become another body paragraph Assessment sample INTRODUCTION Australia has a highly developed healthcare system which provides a wide range of safe and affordable services to people during the twentieth century. Despite improvements in the health and wellbeing of the general population, Australians sub-groups still suffer from substantial and systematic inequalities. The National Primary Health Care Strategy stated that at the beginning of twenty first century there are considerable health inequalities among the population of Australia which means socioeconomically disadvantaged people face more challenges regards their health and accessing to health services. The objective of this essay is to critically evolute and explore the concept of health inequalities between population/sub-groups in Australia by considering social determinants of health. Furthermore, this paper will give information about the recommendations for addressing the health inequalities and social determinants of health at a policy level. EXPLAINING HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN AUSTRALIA Inequalities in health exist for a number of reasons and these reasons are often interrelated. For example, a lower socioeconomic status, poor education level and occupation has been linked with poorer health habits, increased risk factors such as higher levels of smoking, more obesity, which increase the chances of the major causes of death. Based on the information for the period 2005–07, life expectancy at birth for Australians both male and females was evaluated to be 78.7 and 82.6 years respectively. However, For Indigenous Australian males and females the life expectancies were estimated to be 11.5 years and 9.7 years less, which has a massive difference and reflects significant indigenous disadvantage . Studies of morbidity and mortality have demonstrated that the poor have the highest percentage of disease and short life expectancy. For example, reports the life expectancy for a baby boy born in 2000-01 in the most disadvantaged group had a life expectancy 3.6 years less than a baby boy born at the same time but in the higher group. Baby girls born at the same time experienced a 2.4-year reduction in life expectancy . This highlights the role of gender in life expectancy. Inequalities exist due to the factors related with health such as knowledge and information about health, behaviour, attitude and use of appropriate health services . Those inequalities exist over a range of social, economic and cultural measures, the most critical and determined being education level, occupation, employment status, income, aboriginality and area-based socioeconomic disadvantage which reflects on social determinants of health. An additional issue is whether people are indigenous or non-indigenous. Since the movement of non-indigenous to areas where indigenous populations existed, health for the indigenous populations has decreased significantly. This has been a result of government policies, genocide, the breaking down of the cultural and social groups, higher levels of unemployment and poorer health behavior. Social determinants contribute 34% of the health inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians and some of them are described below: HEALTH INEQUALLITIES BY AREA LEVEL SOCIOECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE AREAS: Social economic status is closely linked with income, education and occupation which is connected to wide range of health problems and risk behaviour such as smoking, lack of exercise, poor nutrition. Around 29% Australians who are living in rural areas suffer from a number of health problems and health disparities because of geographic location and difficulties in accessing health services. Consequently, they experience poor health as compared to people living in urban areas. It is estimated that people in low socioeconomic group are more indulge in smoking behaviours. In 2013, those who aged fourteen, 35% of this group smoked daily compared to 3 times more than people living in higher socioeconomic groups. In general, the higher person’s income, education and income, they tend to be healthier. This phenomenon often referred as the social gradient of health. HEALTH INEQUALITIES BY EDUCATION: The most important determinant of health is person’s level of education because education provides knowledge and skills to manage and improve health by accessing health services. Australian health research states that there is a strong link between less education and poor health status. In 2001, male and females aged 25 with no post school qualification rated their health poorer with high levels of risks associated with drinking behaviours, smoking and no physical activity . In an Australian population, tobacco smoking has been the largest cause of death and morbidity. In the indigenous population of Australia, the prevalence to tobacco and smoking is estimated double as compared to the non- indigenous population which is due to the low levels of education and knowledge about the harmful diseases arise from such addictions. Consequently, no education leads to unemployment. Unemployment impacts on general health and wellbeing in a variety of ways. The most obvious impact is on the socioeconomic status of the individual. Work not only provides an income, however, but it also provides a social outlet for individuals – a connection with others. Without work, many individuals become concerned about their future economic potential, experience insecurity, hopelessness and economic disadvantage. The National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing estimated that 29% of unemployed Australians had a 12-month mental disorder compared to 20% of employed and experience almost twice the prevalence of Substance Use disorders . This was largely due to poor information and education about health and wellbeing in low socioeconomic areas along with the medical systems that failed to manage the needs of disadvantaged groups . As described in the figure above, there is large difference between indigenous and non- indigenous people in every aspect. For example, indigenous people smoke 20% more than non-indigenous on daily level. Also, inadequate food intake for indigenous is 60%. However, non-indigenous has low levels of inadequate food intake which is due to less information about healthy behaviours among people in rural or remotes areas. HEALTH INEQUALITIES BY EQUIVALISED INCOME: Occupation is the key social determinant and indicator of socioeconomic status when describing health inequalities in Australia. There is a link between income/low income and poor health. People with low income households have higher hospital admissions and worst health outcomes. Also, they have difficulties in accessing and affording healthcare services. Research conducted in Australia have shown that people from low income households suffer from more depression and anxiety and report their health. As a result, people are more likely to engage in risk behaviours such as smoking, less physical activity, not to engage in dietary practice and put themselves at high risks of diabetes, coronary heart disease, asthma and cancer . Marmot and Wilkinson (2011, p. 512) recommend that the extending pay imbalance joined by work intensification and joblessness has increased level of stress, depression, anxiety and anger in a community and these psycho-social factors put bad impacts on wellbeing among poor people and then experience relieve inequalities. In 2014, people from low income households who aged 25- 50 years were more likely to go hospitals and consulted with the GP’s which is 15% more than the people from high income households. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCING HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN AUSTRALIA Improving health inequalities is vital for achieving the 2030 for sustainable development and to get good health outcomes. Health inequalities arise from societal level conditions which are associated with housing, education, income and employment and reducing inequalities will be achieved by actions taken within the health sector. Therefore, an effective response to health inequalities will require actions from all sectors with effective collaboration. Community members should be involved in the process and planning of services to make sure that they are culturally appropriate and effective. Reducing preventable disparities in wellbeing across and between population should be objective of governments, health care sectors and public health professionals. Much current strategy accepts that through economic growth and development all individuals will get wealthier as well as healthier. Nevertheless, in Australia, as somewhere else, there appears to be limited concerns about the growing inequalities in the dispersion of wealth and wellbeing in the populace. An initial step to diminishing health inequalities is the establishment of a national objective goal making access to financial, social and natural assets in which government is responsible for the public health. This objective sets a policy framework for action, and accountability for progress and highlights needs for the investment of assets. Government and public professional should adopt the strategies and actions that make it easier for people to adopt healthy behavior. For example, by increasing the product price and reducing the availability of products which damage health such as increase pricing for alcohol and tobacco. However, According to the World