STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Recent Trends in Infectious Diseases Original Research

Social Determinant in Health : Epidemiological study of communicable diseases, Demography and Mortality rate.

  1. Dr. Sudipta Roy Department of Pharmaceutics, Bengal College of Pharmaceutical Technology

Abstract

Introduction: Social Determinants of Health (SDH) significantly influence the spread and prevalence of communicable diseases. Factors such as poverty, income inequality, healthcare access, education, employment, location, and social connections shape disease transmission within populations. Additional factors like age, gender, migration, and urbanization further explain the relationship between SDH and public health. Mortality rates, including life expectancy, infant mortality, and access to clean water and sanitation, are deeply affected by these determinants. Understanding SDH is crucial in epidemiological studies to devise effective public health solutions that address health disparities and reduce disease burdens.

Materials and Methods: To assess SDH, researchers use health surveys, facility records, census data, public health databases, and policy documents. These tools help to evaluate socioeconomic indicators, healthcare access, and environmental factors. Additionally, pharmaceutical interventions such as vaccines, antivirals, and antibiotics are critical in preventing and treating infectious diseases, but their availability and effectiveness are often shaped by SDH, particularly in low-income settings.

Results: SDH, including income, education, and healthcare access, directly influence the prevalence of diseases like tuberculosis, HIV, and cholera. Overcrowded, unsanitary conditions in low-income areas foster disease spread, while healthcare inequities lead to delayed treatment. Vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly, face greater risks, and urbanization often worsens health outcomes through inadequate infrastructure.

Discussion: Communicable diseases thrive in low-income areas due to poverty, overcrowding, and limited healthcare access. Addressing these issues requires improving living conditions, healthcare access, sanitation, and health education. Vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and migrants face higher risks. Investments in water, sanitation, and healthcare are crucial to reducing mortality and health disparities.

Conclusion: Addressing SDH through public health policies, improved healthcare access, and tackling structural inequalities can significantly reduce communicable disease burdens, especially in vulnerable populations. Collaborative efforts between communities, public health bodies, and governments are essential to achieving long-term health improvements.

Keywords

References (16)

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Social determinants of health [Online]. WHO. 2020. Available from: https://www. who. int/social_determinants
  2. Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Geneva: World Health Organization [Online]. CSDH. Available from: https://www. who. int/publications/i/item/WHO-IER-CSDH-08. 1.
  3. Marmot M. Social determinants of health inequalities. The Lancet. 2005;365(9464):1099-1104. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)71146-6
  4. Solar O, Irwin A. A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. Geneva [Online]. World Health Organization. 2010. Available from: https://www. who. int/sdhconference/resources/ConceptualframeworkforactiononSDH_eng. Pdf.
  5. World Bank. (2018). World development indicators: Health systems and outcomes [Online]. World Bank. Available from: https://databank. worldbank. org/source/world-development-indicators.
  6. Frieden TR. A Framework for Public Health Action: The Health Impact Pyramid. American Journal of Public Health. 2010;100(4):590-595. doi:10.2105/ajph.2009.185652
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) [Online]. CDC. 2020. Available from: https://www. cdc. gov/socialdeterminants.
  8. Galea S, Vlahov D. Social determinants and infectious disease occurrences: the implications for epidemiologic research. Public Health Rep. 2002;117(1):32–39.
  9. Prüss-Ustün A, Bos R, Gore F, Bartram J. Safer water, better health: Costs, benefits, and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health [Online]. World Health Organization. 2008. Available from: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/43840/?sequence=1.
  10. Victora CG, Adair L, Fall C, Hallal PC, Martorell R, Richter L, et al. Maternal and child undernutrition: consequences for adult health and human capital. The Lancet. 2008;371(9609):340-357. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61692-4
  11. Flaskerud JH, DeLilly CR, Flaskerud JH. Social Determinants of Health Status. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 2012;33(7):494-497. doi:10.3109/01612840.2012.662581
  12. Boerma JT, Weir SS. Integrating Demographic and Epidemiological Approaches to Research on HIV/AIDS: The Proximate‐Determinants Framework. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2005;191(s1):S61-S67. doi:10.1086/425282
  13. Marmot M, Bell R. Social Determinants and Dental Health. Advances in Dental Research. 2011;23(2):201-206. doi:10.1177/0022034511402079
  14. Defo BK. Demographic, epidemiological, and health transitions: Are they relevant to population health patterns in Africa? Glob Health Action. 2014;7(1):22443. doi:10.3402/gha.v7.22443@zgha20.2014.7.issue-s6.
  15. Maimela E, Alberts M, Modjadji SEP, Choma SSR, Dikotope SA, Ntuli TS, et al. The Prevalence and Determinants of Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors amongst Adults in the Dikgale Health Demographic and Surveillance System (HDSS) Site, Limpopo Province of South Africa. PLOS ONE. 2016;11(2):e0147926. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147926
  16. Willis MD, Winston CA, Heilig CM, Cain KP, Mac Kenzie WR. Communicable diseases. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54(11):1553–1560. doi:10.1093/cid/cis235.