The determinants of health are classified by many factors, the combination of factors is what has an adversely affect the health of individuals, young people and communities. (1) The determinants of health are individual factors, sociocultural factors, socioeconomic factors and environmental factors. Young people are classified into the age group of 12 and 24, they are transitioning between being dependent to being independent adults. During this period young people experience life events and decision making which may have an effect on their immediate and/or long-term health and wellbeing. (2)
The sociocultural factor to determine the health of young people is influenced by the individuals family, peers, media, religion and culture. A young person is adversely influenced by their peers, this can be through peer pressure or participating in things just to fit in. (3) Risky behaviour in young people may be smoking, binge-drinking, drug use, illegal activities, truancy and fighting. (4) A young person is more likely to adapt to the risky behaviours to fit in with peers than to decide independently that this is something I'm going to do. For example, if friends at a party were going to smoke and you were the only one not smoking you would feel inclined to join in so you weren't left out. “Nearly 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers first tried smoking by age 18.” (5) Young people are majorly adversely affected by the media, with the ability to access the media and internet almost anywhere they go. Social media creates an unrealistic environment what young people strive to meet, which creates a negative impact on their mental health as they compare their life to what they see on their screens. The influence of the media in the form of television allows for young people to have the impression that it’s okay to be participating in the risky behaviours as their favourite characters are doing it e.g. smoking, drinking and having sex. Young people are becoming increasingly desensitised to graphic images leading to increases in sexual assault, harassment, and a higher risk of sexual activity at younger ages. (5) Family is where a young person's values and ethics are first established if these values and ethics are not what the young person believes to be true they are more likely to disobey and/or do the opposite. This is when they may experiment with risky behaviours which can have a negative effect on their mental, emotional and physical health.
The socio-economic status of young people is highly influenced by their parents, young people can be negatively impacted by socioeconomic factors from year early years of life. This can negatively influence how they view there education and employment in current and future years. Having a low socioeconomic status makes young people at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality rates. (6) Socioeconomic factors of health in young people are classified by their employment, education and income. How young people view school and their education starts from a young age, this can be highly influenced by their parents. In Australia, it is mandatory that all children attend school up till year 10, this can be seen as a waste of money to some families so that stigma can be passed onto the child so they don’t even bother trying or finishing. “One in four Australian students do not finish Year 12” and “60 per cent of students from low socio-economic backgrounds finish school” (7). Not having gotten a high school certificate it makes it difficult for young people to receive employment as low skilled jobs availability decreases. (2) Employment and income work hand in hand, not having a job for a young person will result in a minimum income or nothing. “Youth Unemployment Rate in Australia is 11.60 percent in May 2018”. (8) This makes young people of a low socio-economic status unable to have access to health services and good health products making them more at risk to morbidity. They would be living in poor conditions and limited access to healthy foods. This will have a negative impact on their overall wellbeing.
2. Propose a strategy that could be implemented to overcome the factors examined. (4 marks)
Socio-economic factors that determine the health of young people are education, income and employment can be overcome by implementing certain strategies to overcome the factors, and having a low socio-economic status. Bringing awareness and educating young people in high school about the importance of school and possibilities it can bring if you go well and receive a good education. (1) This strategy can be implemented by having guest speakers come into schools, to educate the young people on the advantages of graduating. The speakers should target schools with a higher drop out rate so that it has a higher impact. Educating the young people on the employment they can receive after school with and without a high school diploma. E.g. becoming a business manager or becoming an electrician, which also needs some sort of education like tafe. Educating young people on the importance of education will increase the number of young people graduating high school. Having more young people with a high school diploma will allow for better jobs available for them, increasing their mental and emotional wellbeing. Having a good job will allow for young people to receive a higher income, this will allow them to afford and access health services, good living conditions, healthy food and clean water. This will increase both their overall well-being, health and socio-economic status.
Sociocultural factors of health for young people are determined by family, peers, media, religion and culture. Implementing strategies it can overcome the sociocultural factors that negatively impact the health of young people. By doing this it will increase the health and wellbeing of young people who are affected by negative factors. A strategy may be allowing more access and availability to a psychologist for young people. This could be implemented in schools, workplaces and common areas e.g. major shopping centres for easy access. For young people to use these services the negative stigma around it needs to be diminished, this could be done by educating schools on why they are used and that they are confidential. The price to access a psychologist in schools is free and the cost should be reduced for young people to access a public psychologist. This is where they can talk about any suppressed negative or positive feelings and experiences, this is majorly consisting of family, peers, media, religion and culture. Having young people talk about their feelings and experiences will decrease the rate of depression, anxiety and stress in young people. (2) “In 2014, an estimated 2.8 million children age 12-17 in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode, according to NIMH.” (3) This allows for young people to have a sense of freedom and acceptance, this increases their sense of mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.
3. Assess the relationship between the developmental aspects that affect the health of young people and the successful management of health.
The developmental aspects of health in young people is a series of social and emotional tasks which characterise the transition from childhood to adulthood. These tasks are classified by, revising roles within relationships, clarifying self-identity and self-worth, developing self-sufficiency and autonomy, establishing education, training and employment pathways, establishing personal support structures and determining behavioural boundaries. The rate at which young people succeed through the tasks is determined by their particular social, economic, physical and emotional circumstances. The way in which these tasks are successfully managed can significantly affect the current and future health of young people. (1)
For young people to continue in positive healthy relationships they should frequently revise their roles within the relationship, these relationships can be with family, parents, peers and partners. By revising the roles within the relationship it can positively impact their social and emotional health. As young people get older they should feel like they are progressing or moving forward in life, this can be done in be done by receiving more responsibility and freedom in the activities they participate in. For example in a family setting, the young person should be included in important family decisions and discussions e.g. family vacations, so that they feel they have been listened too. “Adolescents from most Caucasian authoritarian families have been found to exhibit poor social skills, low levels of self-esteem, and high levels of depression.” (2) By increasing their responsibilities as they get older is a way to successfully manage the social and emotional health of young people and decreases the need for rebellion. (3) Having young people revise their roles within relationships is a positive task in the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Young people need to clarify their self-identity and self-worth, this will also allow them to make a better decision when revising their role within relationships. Understanding yourself and your worth in life can positively increase your mental, emotional health and well-being tremendously. “75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating.” (4) For a young person clarifying themselves is one of the most important steps into adulthood. When you think about your personality, behaviours, values and activities in life and you disagree with what you have been doing, it’s time to make a change for the better into adulthood. This can be with the support of those closest to you, this will allow you to manage your health and grow within yourself and relationships. Young people may need you to re-think about who they surround themselves with for this change to be permanent. This being done before going into adulthood will allow young people to experience the world and themselves in a new positive way moving on into life. (4)
Establishing a good personal support structure will allow for someone for young people to confide in, this will be increasing there social and emotional well-being and health. Personal support will be able to assist and comfort in the processes of revising roles within relationships and clarifying self-identity and self-worth. Having a support system will allow young people to better cope with mental illnesses such as depression, stress and anxiety. “One is seven young Australians experience a mental health condition”.(5) Having the support from peers/friends, family, government organisation e.g. beyondblue, psychologists and partners will allow for a greater sense of self-worth and love. Young people may become reliant on the support systems and not do things for themselves. For example, a young person with depression who has a great support system who ends up doing all their laundry and makes their meals. When those people can’t be there for that young person they are not going to know what to do or be bothered doing it themselves as they know someone will do it for them eventually, negatively impacting their self-esteem. In an overall judgement of support structures they a great and is a successful management tool for better health if used appropriately and the support system doesn’t do everything for them.
For most young people establishing a personal support system will assist in determining behavioural boundaries with them both influencing their social health and behaviours. Determining behavioural boundaries is constantly learnt as you grow up as it can affect their physical and social health, but for a young people they begin to question these behaviours and may participate in risk-taking behaviours. (1) Having a good support system can prevent the risk-taking behaviours but not all the time. For young people, it’s important for them to openly talk to their support system and maybe talk about a negotiation of rules so they can experience more freedom and responsibility. The appropriate successful management of health will need for the young person to clarify their self-identity to see if they can identify that what they are doing is wrong. Personal support systems like friends and peers can have a great influence on the young person and may be able to speak to them about the risks of what they are doing. The stigma around the risk-taking behaviours as in it’s cool to smoke and do drugs needs to be diminished to young people so that they can’t find a reason to continue. “The 2007 National Drug Strategy household survey found that 23% of people aged 15-24 years reported using illicit drugs during the last 12 months”.(6) This will allow for a more permanent solution to the breaking the negative behavioural boundaries and allowing them to manage their health better.
For young people establishing a good education, training and employment are what is going to set them up for a stable future. This allows for young people to have a higher future socioeconomic status allowing them to have more access to health services, good housing and healthy foods increasing their physical health. Having a stable and high-income job can allow for young people to have feelings of self-worth and self-sufficiency. (1) For young people who don't graduate high school and are unemployed, it can negatively affect their emotional wellbeing. “Thirty per cent of unemployed youth are those who left school at 16 years of age with no immediate employment prospect, such as an apprenticeship.” (1) There are successful management programs in place for those who drop out of school or did not get the atar score they wanted, for example, Tafe and back door entries into Universities (other courses to then move into the course you wanted). This is already a successful management of health as they are accommodating for those whose self-esteem and emotional wellbeing is low, increasing their overall health with an opportunity to have a stable future. This is a positive developmental aspect as for all young people there are options they have to receive a good education and training which can lead to a good job and a higher socioeconomic status and overall health.
For young people to start being considered responsible and independent they must start developing self-sufficiently and autonomy. Being self-sufficiently means we are “able to supply one's own or its own needs without external assistance” (7) this may include buying a car, taking responsibility for education and employment, moving out of home and looking after own financial affairs. (1) Being autonomy means “that individuals are trusted to undertake tasks without guidance from someone in authority”. (1) This may put you into a position where you can undertake a mentor role. Becoming and developing being self-sufficient and autonomist with influence your physical and emotional health, and will influence your economic status. Your health should be benefited by the newfound independence but if the young person moves out too young they may not be prepared enough and have to eventually move back home, that’s why more and more people are living at parents home for much longer now. “The proportion of 20 to 24-year-olds living with parents grew from 41.4 per cent to 43.4 per cent between 2011 and 2016” (8) Successful management of health can be achieved in both cerium stances with self-sufficiently being achieved living at home by paying your parents to rent so that you are living independently, and moving out you have already reached self-sufficiently but your emotional wellbeing is struggling you could arrange to have dinners with family at each other's houses. This is a positive developmental aspect but it doesn’t have to be rushed into achieving, if done right it will positively contribute to your wellbeing and health.
With developmental aspects of health done gradually over time and the young person is prepared for the next stage it will benefit their overall health. Their wellbeing consisting of social, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental wellbeing will be tested in all stages of their life, they need to find strategies to successfully manage their health for their circumstance. For the individual to grow as a young person they should complete their developmental aspects to reach their full potential in life.