Challenging the Status Quo

The Prevailing Paradigm

A status quo has evolved in the interpretation and viewpoint of health outcomes and the accompanying social inequities. Three predominant messages frame a common perspective; Firstly, that health is solely the responsibility of the individual, that their health status is definitively defined by the decisions they make. The second message is that life isn’t fair, that the inequities which abound are not unjust, rather unfortunate. Finally, the message that nothing can be done about the inequities in health outcomes.

Overcoming Deep-Seated Beliefs

These three messages are particularly compelling as they resonate with an often subconscious understanding of society and ideals. Therefore, it becomes a difficult task to overcome the inherent resistance when attempting to expand a person’s understanding, oftentimes the presentation of new information is not sufficient to overcome these barriers. Rather, to overcome these deep-seated ‘beliefs’ a person is required to closely examine their own assumptions.

The Shift in Questions: From Individual to Community

The questions we use regarding health need to shift, to have a greater focus on health equity. For example, the conventional question – What can an individual do to protect themselves from a health threat? Could be replaced with a health equity framed question – How can the community engage in the organisation and relationship building required to deliver and enact policies which protect the public’s health interests?

Redirecting Focus to Collective Problem-Solving

Shifting the questions in this way redirects attention towards collective problem-solving and enacting policy change rather than the commonplace victimisation and associated ‘blame games’.

The Role of Social Determinants in Health Outcomes

From our week 2 lectures we saw that healthcare only shaped 10% of our health outcomes, factors such as environmental exposures and social circumstance made up a combined 20%. The social determinants of health recognise and give recognition to the integral role education, built environments, economic stability, environmental exposures and social circumstance all play in determining a population’s health.