A Study of Health Using Population Health Model

America are considered obese (Overweight & Obesity, 2017). We can study health in a variety of ways. One way to look at health is with the Population Health Model. This model looks to determine cause of illness and take action to prevent "...systematic difference in health between different groups" (Knickman & Kovner, 2015, p.80). This requires using data to better understand the health of those groups.

Determinants of health is a term that means a factor or cause affecting health (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). There are five areas called the multiple determinants of health. These domains are:

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1. Social & economic
2. Physical environment
3. Genetics
4. Medical care
5. Health-related behaviors (Knickman & Kovner, 2015).

Using this model, health is a culmination of the way one is exposed to these multiple determinants. This way of looking at health is like a complex web, where the factors are intertwined (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). Of the five determinants, a person is not able to control everything. For example, there is nothing we can do about our genes. It is important to look at what we can control and change to make efforts to improve well-being. The following are indicators of better health:

1. Higher education
2. Higher income/ social status
3. Physical environment (safe drinking water, clean air, safe work & home environment) (Knickman & Kovner, 2015).

The opposite is true for poorer health. When we look at these factors we can see there is something we can do about each of them regarding obesity and health. Changing them is no small task. To change the physical environment, one could move. A move, however, is not simple. It requires adequate funds, lining up new housing, work, childcare, etc. Someone with lower income may not be able to pick up and move easily. This ties into lower education. Those with lower education levels may not make as much money as those with more education. This spills over into other areas, less money for high quality foods (which may also be lacking due to location) and a lower social status. It seems like a vicious cycle. One thing leads to another and compounds the issue. (Knickman & Kovner, 2015).

The World Health Organization furthers this sentiment regarding children and adolescents. In children, neighborhood and community environments can influence obesity. Children living in urban areas are exposed to more air pollution. Cities can look at more bicycle paths to encourage more physical activity. Walking and biking to school also encourages more physical activity. If we can reach children while they are young, they may have a better chance at actually changing things for the better. (Determinants of adolescent, n.d.).

Health related behaviors are probably the easiest of the determinants to change. This involves things like diet and exercise, and smoking (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). Children and adults are less active. Less jobs are physical, and kids do not play outside as much as they used to. They play video games and watch TV. (Strauch, 2015). Changing these behaviors is not easy either. They require changing a lot of a person's daily life. Those are habits that have probably been learned early on. Old habits die hard.

Obesity is a health issue that leads to numerous other issues. These issues are costly and can affect quality of life. (Overweight & Obesity, 2017). Obesity is like the population health model, in that it is like an intertwined web. Some issues lead to obesity and obesity leads to other issues (Overweight & Obesity, 2017). Doing what we can to prevent obesity is in our best interest.

Even a work environment can hinder getting healthy (Strauch, 2015). Many people spend most of their days at work. Most places of employment do not offer many chances for physical activity and healthy eating. (Strauch, 2015). Encouraging employers to set up in-office gyms, or discounts for gym memberships might be helpful. Employers could even set up events meant to encourage physical activity. Having a company participate in a charity walk is a perfect example of having more than one benefit. Of course, it would be voluntary, but this is a great opportunity to bring everyone together for a good cause and get some exercise. Something as simple as offering fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks could help as well. Something free, fresh and readily available might encourage people to eat better.

We are bombarded with temptations from so many angles (Strauch, 2015). On television there are so many shows about food and cooking (Strauch, 2015). Most of these are about how amazing food tastes but they offer little regard for how healthy the food is. There are fast food places on every corner. There are unhealthy snacks at gas stations, and at most cash registers. In many schools there are vending machines and snack bars. Many schools have begun to remove these types of temptations and make school lunches healthier. It is difficult to resist fast food when people are so busy (Strauch, 2015). It is quick convenient, relatively cheap and readily available. The best defense is education.

In everyday life are hit from all angles with factors that seem to push us to obesity. There are only so many factors that we can change, so it is imperative that we make every effort to do. Education about obesity and health are the foundation. While some factors are hard to change, knowing that they could positively effect health can be motivation enough to make the effort.

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