The Social Model of Health

1. The Social Model of Health To improve health , basic needs must be met These include: • Individual needs – age, gender • Individual lifestyle factors – smoking, drinking, exercise • Social and Community networks – transport, recreation • General socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions- food production, Education, Work environments, unemployment, water and sanitation, healthcare services, housing. There are a set of guiding principles for the Social Model of Health • A ddresses all determinants of health • R educe social inequality – everyone should have access to health care regardless of gender, socioeconomic status and location • Empowersindividuals and the community – providing resources and skills to improve health • A ccessibility to health care – health care should be affordable, appropriate and accessible to all.

2. Ottawa Charter • There are five action areas of the Ottawa Charter. These are: • Build healthy public policy – rules, laws, regulations to improve health e.g. smoke free work places, reduced taxes on low alcohol beer and sunhats as part of school uniforms. • Create supportive environments – improving health by taking care of one another and our environment: e.g. recycling programs, and work-safe programs • Strengthen community action – communities working together to promote health e.g. self help groups, community groups and the media promoting road safety • Develop personal skills – providing opportunities for people to develop knowledge and skills that give them greater control over their health; e.g. health education in schools, information brochures in doctors’ surgeries and parenting courses • Re- orient health services – moving away from the focus on curative services (quick fix approach) to services that focus on prevention and health promotion; e.g. doctors incorporating dietary advice and exercise programs in their treatment for high blood pressure

3. Build healthy public policy • Build healthy public policy – rules, laws, regulations to improve health e.g. smoke free work places, reduced taxes on low alcohol beer and sunhats as part of school uniforms.

4. Create supportive environments Create supportive environments – improving health by taking care of one another and our environment: e.g. recycling programs, and work-safe programs

5. Strengthen community action Strengthen community action – communities working together to promote health e.g. self help groups, community groups and the media promoting road safety

6. Develop personal skills Develop personal skills – providing opportunities for people to develop knowledge and skills that give them greater control over their health; e.g. health education in schools, information brochures in doctors’ surgeries and parenting courses

7. Re- orient health services Re- orient health services – moving away from the focus on curative services (quick fix approach) to services that focus on prevention and health promotion; e.g. doctors incorporating dietary advice and exercise programs in their treatment for high blood pressure

8. How to remember the Ottawa Charter • Bad - Build healthy public policy • Cats - Create supportive environments • Smell - Strengthen community action • Dead - Develop personal skills • Rats - Re- orient health services