In Canada, the social determinants of health are identified as:
Income and Income Distribution, Education, Unemployment and Job Security, Employment and Working Conditions, Early Child Development, Food Insecurity, Housing, Social Exclusion, Social Safety Net, Health Services, Geography, Disability, Indigenous Ancestry, Gender, Immigration, Race, and Globalization (Raphael, D., Bryant, T., Mikkonen, J. and Raphael, A., 2020).
In Ontario, the focus for social determinants of health lies within health equity. Health Quality Ontario states that the availability of high-quality care varies, which is why the focus on bringing health equity in Ontario is a priority to improve social determinants of health (Health Quality Ontario, 2016). Health equity is described as allowing people to reach their full potential and receive high-quality care that is fair and appropriate no matter their location, what they have, or who they are (Health Quality Ontario, 2016). Health Quality Ontario focuses on access, experiences, and healthcare outcomes in relation to social determinants of health (Health Quality Ontario, 2016). Access, experience, and outcomes can be affected by various determinants of health such as race, income, and geographic location; this is why Canada is focused on equity to improve outcomes for all individuals, no matter who they are, where they are located, or what they have (Health Quality Ontario, 2016).
In Alberta, the focus is also on providing health equity among residents. The Population and Public Health Transformational Roadmap of Alberta states that the resources needed to be healthy are not fairly distributed among communities or across social groups; one of these resources is identified as access to nutritious food (Alberta Health Services, 2020). Alberta has taken the approach of practicing population health through these key principles: Engagement with people in Alberta and their communities, Moving upstream, Health equity, Innovative, evidence-informed action, and Sustainability (Alberta Health Services, 2020). These principles will help them assist all Alberta residents in being healthy, no matter their specific determinants of health, such as education, race, indigenous heritage, and employment status (Alberta Health Services, 2020).
References
Alberta Health Services. (2020). Population and Public Health Transformational Roadmap. Retrieved from https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/about/scn/ahs-scn-ppih-pph-roadmap.pdf
Government of Canada. (2021). Health Inequalities Data Tool. Retrieved from https://health-infobase.canada.ca/health-inequalities/data-tool/index
Government of Canada. (2020). Social determinants of health and health inequalities. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html
Health Quality Ontario. (2016). Health Quality Ontario’s HEALTH EQUITY PLAN. Retrieved from http://www.hqontario.ca/portals/0/documents/health-quality/health_equity_plan_report_en.pdf
National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2013). Leadership for Health Equity: Alberta Health Services - Establishing a Province-Wide Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity Approach, Antigonish, NS: National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, St. Francis Xavier University. Retrieved from https://nccdh.ca/images/uploads/Alberta_Health_Services_Case_Study_Final_En.pdf
Raphael, D., Bryant, T., Mikkonen, J. and Raphael, A. (2020). Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianfacts.org/
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