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To me, health doesn’t just mean being physically well. It means being emotionally and mentally well too. To keep physically healthy i like to go on walks and roller skate as well as keeping a healthy diet.To maintain my emotional and mental health i like to write in a journal.

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This blog post discusses the impact of three social determinants of health on refugees in Australia: housing, basic amenities, social inclusion, non-discrimination, and food insecurity. (WHO, n.d).

In 2019, 18% of Australians reported experiencing discrimination based on race, skin color, or ethnicity, highlighting the need for social inclusion and non-disctimatory behavior.

70% of Australian refugees lack government support, despite housing being a basic human right. Fortunately, charities provide accommodation to struggling asylum seekers (sisters of charity foundation, 2022).

Food insecurity, particularly among culturally diverse individuals, arises from inadequate food access, unhealthy food choices, or inadequate education on nutritious diets, leading to malnutrition and potential life-threatening consequences (Rosier, 2011) .

Rosier, K. (2011). Food insecurity in Australia: What is it, who experiences it and how can child and family services support families experiencing it? https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/food-insecurity-australia-what-it-who-experiences-it-and-how-can-child

Sisters of Charity foundation. (2022). Asylum seekers housing program. https://sistersofcharityfoundation.org.au/how-we-help/asylum-seekers-housing-program/#:~:text=More%20than%2070%25%20of%20asylum,people%20at%20risk%20of%20homelessness.

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The social determinants of health (SDH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems.

The SDH have an important influence on health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries. In countries at all levels of income, health and illness follow a social gradient: the lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health.

The following list provides examples of the social determinants of health, which can influence health equity in positive and negative ways:

Income and social protection

Education

Unemployment and job insecurity

Working life conditions

Food insecurity

Housing, basic amenities and the environment

Early childhood development

Social inclusion and non-discrimination

Structural conflict

Access to affordable health services of decent quality.

Research shows that the social determinants can be more important than health care or lifestyle choices in influencing health. For example, numerous studies suggest that SDH account for between 30-55% of health outcomes. In addition, estimates show that the contribution of sectors outside health to population health outcomes exceeds the contribution from the health sector.

Addressing SDH appropriately is fundamental for improving health and reducing longstanding inequities in health, which requires action by all sectors and civil society.

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WHO's work on social determinants of health

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I think that competency standard 12.3 (Migrant and refugee women’s health partnership, 2019) resonated with me the most as I believe that clinicians must adhere to high ethnic standards at all times. The principle that connected to me the most was effective communication. I feel as though it is extremely important to maintain effective communication with patients. Having learnt more about this topic, i feel that i am more capable of caring for patients of different cultures or education backgrounds than myself and that nurses have a role in educating their patients as well as caring for them.

Migrant and refugee women’s health partnership. (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/competency-standards-framework/

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Health issues refugees may face when coming Australia

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Health issues refugees may face when coming Australia

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Country focus: Iraq
Located: in the Middle East, in southwestern Asia.
Iraq has experiences issues with its citizens being displaced since 2003, this continued into 2014 when the Islamic state began to take control of the country. The Iraqi government proclaimed victory over the Islamic state at the beginning of 2017. Nine years after the conflict with the Islamic State, Iraq is still struggling to recover (centre of preventive action, 2023). At the end of June 2021, 99,360 Iraqi-born people were living in Australia.
Three common health concerns listed on the ‘Australian Refugee Heath Practice Guide’ that are likely to be present in people arriving from Iraq are mental health, tuberculosis and hepatitis B (Eiset & Wejse, 2017).

Mental health:
Mental health is a state of mental wellbeing that enables people to cope with stresses of everyday life. Iraqi refugees often suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and depression, which can be treated with psychological therapies or medication.

Tuberculosis:
Tuberculosis, a life-threatening infection primarily affecting the lungs, can affect other body parts (department of health, N.D)
and is treated with various drug treatments.

Hepatitis B:
Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. The infection can be either acute  or chronic.
Treatment of hepatitis B involves making the person comfortable, ensuring they eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration from vomiting and diarrhoea. There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B can be maintained with medicines (WHO, 2023).

centre of preventive action. (2023). Instability in Iraq. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/political-instability-iraq

Eiset, A.H., Wejse, C. (2017). Review of infectious diseases in refugees and asylum seekers - current status and going forward. https://publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40985-017-0065-4#citeas

Australian government, department of health (n.d) Tuberculosis https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/S_T/Tuberculosi

Mayo Clinic (2023). Tuberculosis https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351256

WHO (2023) Hepatitis B. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b#:~:text=Overview,from%20cirrhosis%20and%20liver%20cancer.

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Australia is internationally known for its sporting role in cricket but within Australia itself, rugby league (NRL) and Australian rules football (AFL) are the largest played and supported sports (the sporting blog, 2021).  Regular physical activity has lasting effects on an individuals health, preventing many many life threatening diseases  (WHO, N.D). Sport can also greatly improve mental health because when an individual does physical activity, the brain releases endorphins, or better known as the happy hormone (Linden, n.d).

The sporting blog. (2021) the 10 most popular sports in Australia. https://thesporting.blog/blog/10-most-popular-sports-in-australia

WHO. (n.d). WHO Sport for Health Programme https://www.who.int/initiatives/sports-and-health#:~:text=Regular%20physical%20activity%20helps%20prevent,world%20is%20becoming%20less%20active.

Linden, D. (n.d). The Truth Behind ‘Runner’s High’ and Other Mental Benefits of Running. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-truth-behind-runners-high-and-other-mental-benefits-of-running#:~:text=As%20you%20hit%20your%20stride,euphoric%20state%20following%20intense%20exercise.

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Due to Australia’s culturally diverse society, Australian cuisine is made up of traditional foods from many countries, such as Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Britain. Lamingtons, pavlova, and many more forms of traditional aboriginal dishes are still largely present in Australia (Chefin, N.D).

Chefin. (N.d) WHAT IS TRADITIONAL AUSTRALIAN CUISINE? https://chefin.com.au/blog/traditional-australian-food/

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Similar to our food culture, Australians religious and spiritual beliefs are also very diverse. The 2021 census, conducted by the bureau of statistics, confirmed that the most admired religion in Australia was Christianity and was closely followed by no religion. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). As migration rates increase and more cultures are integrated into Australian society, more religions will begin to emerge and be integrated into Australian culture.

Australian Bureau of statistics. (2022) Religious affiliation in Australia. https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/religious-affiliation-australia

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Kinglake National Park after the Black Saturday bushfires

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On the morning of the 7th of February 2009, winds of 100km/hr were recorded, bringing down powerlines and igniting what was later known as the worst recorded bushfire in Australia to date. The aftermath was devastating with 173 people killed and more than 450,000 hectares been burned including more than 2,000 houses destroyed (National museum of Australia, n.d). This bushfire has helped shaped Australian culture. People who have never met one another helped each other in this horrible crisis. Members of surrounding communities volunteered their time to help cook food, care for others or create shelter for those who have lost everything. Others who couldn’t be as close, donated money to help rebuild the community. This horrible event has shown us that Australian people help each other in times of need. Even when some people had nothing after the bushfire, they still helped others.

National Museum of Australia. (N.d). Black Saturday bushfires. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/black-saturday-bushfires

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Kangaroo apple (Solanum laciniatum)
Kangaroo apple is a naturally occuring steroid that reduces inflammation and helps the body make cortisone. Cortisone promotes the healing of scars, balances pigmentation, and soothes sore joints and wounds. It has been used for thousands of years as a poultice to treat joint discomfort. The orange, light globe-shaped fruits can make tasty bush food when they are fully ripe. However, green, unripe fruits are quite poisonous (Cromb, 2017).

Cromb, N. (2017) 10 bush medicines that have been curing people for generations. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/10-bush-medicines-that-have-been-curing-people-for-generations/128n762uh

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Aboriginal people communicate the strength and beauty of their culture through art. Additionally, it helps them to keep their traditions, beliefs , and values strong. Australia has about 250 indigenous languages, and although their cultures are similar, they also differ greatly. This demonstrates the diversity of indigenous art (Kate Owen Gallery, 2023). Aboriginal art is narrative-based. It records stories using symbols as a replacement to words. This assists in educating future generations on issues related to survival and land management (japingka, n.d).

Kate Owen Gallery. (2023). Australian Aboriginal art and culture https://www.kateowengallery.com/page/About-Australian-Aboriginal-Art

Japingka. (N.d). Aboriginal art facts https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/facts-about-aboriginal-art/#:~:text=Fact%3A%20Aboriginal%20art%20is%20based,of%20survival%20and%20land%20management.