Social Determinants of Health and the Communicable Disease Chain Model

Social determinants of health

Social determinants of health refer to factors or conditions that people are exposed to in the environments they operate in such as workplaces, schools, and homes, that influence their health and wellbeing. These factors are non-medical but they influence people's health outcomes (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). The social determinants of health include; income, education, food security, among others.

How social determinants of health contribute to the development of disease

Each social determinant of health contributes to the development of disease in its unique way. Income influences people's ability to purchase services and goods vital for preventing and eradicating diseases, creating room for disease development. Lack of education makes people lack adequate health knowledge, leading to wrong health beliefs and poor lifestyles that can cause disease development (World Health Organization, 2023). Food insecurity causes the inability to access adequate and nutritious food thus increasing the risk of disease development among affected people.

The fundamental idea that the communicable disease chain model is designed to represent

The communicable disease chain model outlines three basic elements regarded as necessary for the occurrence and spread of any communicable disease. Those elements are a pathogenic agent, the availability of a host, and an environment. The fundamental idea that the model represents is that the spread of communicable diseases can be halted by either breaking the chain completely at any point or minimizing the risk.

Steps a nurse can take to break the link within the communicable disease chain

The link within the communicable disease chain can be broken by eliminating the conditions fostering the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. The chain can be destroyed by breaking the links in the chain (Infection Control Results, n.d.). Among the steps that a nurse can take to destroy the link are: Observing hygiene to ensure that pathogens lack a breeding environment, using protective gear that minimizes exposure to infectious pathogens, disinfecting equipment to kill pathogens, keenness on patient placement to prevent exposure to communicable diseases, minimizing patient movements within the facility, and using immunization to prevent further spread.

References

• Healthy People 2030. (n.d.). Social Determinants of Health. HHS. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health
• Infection Control Results. (n.d.). Infection control: Breaking the chain of infection. https://www.infectioncontrolresults.com/breaking-infection-chain
• World Health Organization. (2023). Social determinants of health. World Health Organization (WHO). https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health