30/08/2025
🧠 What Shapes Your Health?
When we talk about health, it’s easy to focus on personal choices—what we eat, how much we move, whether we smoke. But the reality is far more complex. Our health is shaped by the conditions in which we live, work, learn, and age. These are called the determinants of health, and they include:
🧬 Biological factors: genetics, age, s*x
🧠 Behavioural factors: physical activity, nutrition, substance use
🏘️ Socioeconomic factors: income, education, employment, housing
🌏 Environmental factors: air quality, access to green space, urban design
These determinants interact in dynamic, non-linear ways. For example, someone living in a low-income area may face limited access to fresh food, safe walking paths, or quality healthcare—factors that compound over time and increase risk for chronic disease.
📌 Real-world example: Access to green space has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and lower blood pressure. It’s not just about aesthetics—it’s about cardiovascular health, mental wellbeing, and social connection (Egger, 2020).
This systems-based view challenges the idea that health is solely an individual responsibility. As Rose, Khaw, and Marmot (2008) argue, “the major determinants of health lie outside the reach of medicine.” That means prevention must go beyond the clinic—into policy, urban planning, education, and equity.
💬 What’s one thing in your environment—physical or social—that affects your wellbeing?
References:
• Rose, G., Khaw, K. T., & Marmot, M. (2008). Rose’s Strategy of Preventive Medicine. Oxford University Press.
• Egger, G. (2020). Lifestyle-related determinants of chronic disease. Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
