What determines health? To where should we shift resources? Attitudes towards the determinants of health among multiple stakeholder groups in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Bleeding Bodies, Untrustworthy Bodies: A Social Constructionist Approach to Health and Wellbeing of Young People in Kenya

The Sustainable Development Goals provide a global development agenda that is meant to be inclusive of all people. However, the development needs for vulnerable populations such as youth are not reflected within the policy agenda of some developing countries. One of the reasons for this is that research that explores health and wellbeing concerns for young people are sparse in the region and where they exist, the focus has been on marginalized subgroups. To address this gap, this cross-sectional study explored the health and wellbeing of youth in Kenya. We conducted 10 focus group discussions and 14 in-depth interviews with youth ages 15 to 24 years. A thematic analysis of the data revealed that structural factors are important influencers of youth perceptions and their social constructions of health and wellbeing. Kenyan youth are concerned about the health status and healthcare services in their communities, as well as issues of community trust of youths and perceived risks of political misuse and emotional suffering. Our findings suggest that youth transitioning into adulthood in resource-constrained areas experience feelings of powerlessness and inability to take charge over their own life. This impacts how they perceive and socially construct health and wellbeing.

Integration of Primary Health-Care Services in Women's Shelters: A Scoping Review

Women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) have significant detrimental physical and mental health consequences associated with the violence as well as numerous barriers to health-care and social service utilization. Service integration offers a solution to help support women who have experienced violence overcome negative health consequences as well as barriers to system navigation and use. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine research activity pertaining to IPV and primary health-care and women's shelters integration. Namely, the aim was to determine the extent, range, and nature of research related to the effects of integrating primary health-care services and women's shelters. Nineteen sources were identified as potentially relevant from four electronic databases, with four articles meeting the inclusion criteria of integration of primary health-care and women's shelter services where outcomes were presented related to the efficacy of primary health-care received and integration. Numerical analysis revealed considerable homogeneity among articles in terms of methodological approaches, patient populations, and type of integration. Inductive thematic content analysis revealed three themes that resulted from integration: (1) increased access to and acceptability of services, (2) bridge back to health-care, and (3) decreasing future health-care burden. The findings from this scoping review represent a first attempt to summarize the literature, indicate a need for additional research, and suggest implications for practice.

Financing intersectoral action for health: a systematic review of co-financing models

BACKGROUND

Addressing the social and other non-biological determinants of health largely depends on policies and programmes implemented outside the health sector. While there is growing evidence on the effectiveness of interventions that tackle these upstream determinants, the health sector does not typically prioritise them. From a health perspective, they may not be cost-effective because their non-health outcomes tend to be ignored. Non-health sectors may, in turn, undervalue interventions with important co-benefits for population health, given their focus on their own sectoral objectives. The societal value of win-win interventions with impacts on multiple development goals may, therefore, be under-valued and under-resourced, as a result of siloed resource allocation mechanisms. Pooling budgets across sectors could ensure the total multi-sectoral value of these interventions is captured, and sectors' shared goals are achieved more efficiently. Under such a co-financing approach, the cost of interventions with multi-sectoral outcomes would be shared by benefiting sectors, stimulating mutually beneficial cross-sectoral investments. Leveraging funding in other sectors could off-set flat-lining global development assistance for health and optimise public spending. Although there have been experiments with such cross-sectoral co-financing in several settings, there has been limited analysis to examine these models, their performance and their institutional feasibility.

AIM

This study aimed to identify and characterise cross-sectoral co-financing models, their operational modalities, effectiveness, and institutional enablers and barriers.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if data was provided on interventions funded across two or more sectors, or multiple budgets. Extracted data were categorised and qualitatively coded.

RESULTS

Of 2751 publications screened, 81 cases of co-financing were identified. Most were from high-income countries (93%), but six innovative models were found in Uganda, Brazil, El Salvador, Mozambique, Zambia, and Kenya that also included non-public and international payers. The highest number of cases involved the health (93%), social care (64%) and education (22%) sectors. Co-financing models were most often implemented with the intention of integrating services across sectors for defined target populations, although models were also found aimed at health promotion activities outside the health sector and cross-sectoral financial rewards. Interventions were either implemented and governed by a single sector or delivered in an integrated manner with cross-sectoral accountability. Resource constraints and political relevance emerged as key enablers of co-financing, while lack of clarity around the roles of different sectoral players and the objectives of the pooling were found to be barriers to success. Although rigorous impact or economic evaluations were scarce, positive process measures were frequently reported with some evidence suggesting co-financing contributed to improved outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Co-financing remains in an exploratory phase, with diverse models having been implemented across sectors and settings. By incentivising intersectoral action on structural inequities and barriers to health interventions, such a novel financing mechanism could contribute to more effective engagement of non-health sectors; to efficiency gains in the financing of universal health coverage; and to simultaneously achieving health and other well-being related sustainable development goals.

Social Determinants of Health: Present Status, Unanswered Questions, and Future Directions

This article reviews the current status of theory and research concerning the social determinants of health. It provides an overview of current conceptualizations and evidence on the impact of various social determinants of health. The contributions of different disciplines—epidemiology, sociology, political economy, and the human rights perspective—to the field are acknowledged, but profound gaps persist in our understanding of the forces that drive the quality of various social determinants of health and why research is too infrequently translated into action. Many of these gaps in knowledge concern the political, economic, and social forces that make implementation of public policy agendas focused on strengthening the social determinants of health problematic. The author identifies the areas of inquiry needed to help translate knowledge into action.

Population health in New Zealand 2000-2013: From determinants of health to targets

Objective:

To determine how ‘population health’ has been understood in practice and policy and has influenced health system restructuring in New Zealand since 2000.

Methods:

Interviews in 2007–2008 with managers, clinicians, government policy advisors and academics were undertaken to explore the relationships between population health, determinants of health, and health system restructuring. This was augmented by a review of major government health policies from 2009 to 2013 to establish which notions of population health were reflected.

Results:

Population health shifted from a broad notion of health determinants to focus on a small number of quantifiable health targets driven by financial incentives. Meantime, an emphasis on ‘quality and safety’ impeded population health activities. District Health Board programmes to identify high risk individuals, by disease or hospital service utilisation, diverted attention from broader population health outcomes. District Health Boards were not held accountable for integrating a population health approach in service planning and did not initiate or lead intersectoral work. Community consultation was limited. Primary Health Organisations, although mandated to address population health, typically aligned with the small-business model of general practice making service integration difficult to achieve. In policy, ‘population health’ dropped from favour in the mid-2000s, although many documents, outside the health sector, carried forward these values.

Conclusion:

A progressively narrower focus on a small number of health targets and on organisational processes undermined earlier policy intentions and health system restructuring that sought to improve broader population health outcomes.

The population health approach: A qualitative study of conceptual and operational definitions for leaders in Canadian healthcare

OBJECTIVES

The population health approach is increasingly recognized for its role in health system reform; however, its broad scope and definition have been criticized for being a barrier to clear communication. This qualitative study examined the way senior healthcare leaders in Canada conceptualize and operationalize the population health approach in planning and decision-making.

FINDINGS

Core elements of the population health approach included focusing on health and wellness rather than illness, taking a population rather than individual orientation, understanding needs and solutions through community outreach, addressing health disparities/health in vulnerable groups, addressing the social determinants of health and inter-sectoral action and partnerships.

CONCLUSION

The population health approach is increasingly recognized for its role in reducing healthcare demand and contributing to health system sustainability. This study demonstrated the growing need to clarify terminology among multiform partners to establish a foundation for future healthcare integration and inter-sectoral action.

Examining the capacities of municipal governments to reduce health inequities: a survey of municipal actors' perceptions in Metro Vancouver

OBJECTIVES

Canada is an increasingly urban nation, with considerable health inequities (HI) within its urban centres. While Canadian municipalities have a range of policy and planning levers that could reduce the burden of HI, little is known about how municipal employees perceive the capacities of municipal governments to address HI within their jurisdictions. This study sought to capture these perceptions through a survey of politicians and senior-level staff working in Metro Vancouver municipalities.

METHODS

The survey was administered by mail to 637 politicians and senior-level staff from 17 municipal governments in Metro Vancouver. The survey captured respondents' perceptions on the responsibilities of, opportunities for, and constraints on, municipal-level action to address HI, as well as respondents' input on existing municipal policies and programs that could reduce HI in their jurisdictions.

RESULTS

Respondents perceived senior governments to bear greater responsibility for reducing HI than municipalities. Investing in "parks & recreation facilities" was considered the most promising policy lever for addressing HI, while "insufficient federal and provincial funding" was perceived to be the greatest constraint on municipal action. "Affordable housing" and "recreational programs" were the most commonly identified existing strategies to address HI in the municipalities sampled.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings revealed concerns about inter-governmental downloading of responsibilities, and behaviour-based assumptions of disease etiology. To advance an urban health equity agenda, more work is needed to engage and educate municipal actors from a range of departments on the social determinants of health inequities.

Perceptions of the social determinants of health by two groups more and less affiliated with public health in Canada

BACKGROUND

Despite strong academic recognition of the SDOH both in Canada and internationally, acknowledgement and uptake of the SDOH in health policy and public consciousness have remained weak. This paper aims to discern reasons for limited action on the SDOH by examining the perceptions of the SDOH held by two groups more and less affiliated with public health in Canada.We conducted formal consultation with group members on their interpretation of the SDOH and their thoughts on the nature and basis of differences between those more and less aligned with the SDOH as a basis for action. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the views of the two groups.

FINDINGS

Group 1 (community/public health workers) felt overwhelmed when confronted with questions regarding action on the SDOH within the context of their professional lives. They suggested an expanded list of health determinants that included factors such as voluntarism and happiness, transcending traditional notions of "root causes." Furthermore, they did not articulate value-based reasons why others would oppose the SDOH; rather, in line with their professional roles, they adopted a value-neutral and pragmatic approach to working to improve health. Group 2 (child and youth advocacy organization members) seemed rooted in the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion framework, with their recommendations aligned with strategies such as building healthy public policy and reorienting health services. Neither group made reference to issues of social justice or inequity when they made suggestions for improving health.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that two groups with different affiliations to formal public health could discuss the SDOH without acknowledging the inequitable distribution of power and resources that lies at its root. We also found that those working in public health had difficulty moving beyond individual actions that they or their clients could take to improve health. For a group more focused on advocacy than direct service provision, the Ottawa Charter framework seemed more easily suited to their recommendations for action than suggesting actions that would address the SDOH. Our findings indicate that there remains work to be done in terms of translating the SDOH concept into action in Canada.

The effect of oral tolerance on the allergic airway response in younger and aged mice

BACKGROUND

The effect of increased age on the induction of oral tolerance by low-dose antigen feeding and its effect on the response to antigen airway challenge in aged mice have not been well characterized.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether oral tolerance can be induced in aged mice and its impact on the development of allergic airway inflammation.

METHODS

Younger (6 weeks old) and aged (18 months old) mice were fed ovalbumin (OVA) prior to sensitization to induce antigen tolerance. Serum antigen-specific immunoglobulins (Igs), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung histology, enumeration of CD4 + Foxp3+ Treg cells, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) were determined after the final antigen challenge.

RESULTS

Feeding antigen to aged mice prior to sensitization induced oral tolerance as determined by a decrease in antigen-specific IgE and IgG(1); however, the effect was greater in younger mice. Induction of oral tolerance was associated with a greater increase in airway Treg cells in the younger mice. Despite these differences, oral tolerance significantly suppressed features of asthma in aged mice, including BALF total cell and eosinophil numbers, cytokine production, and AHR.

CONCLUSIONS

Aged mice developed oral tolerance to antigen, which suppressed several features of allergic airway inflammation.

Do great local minds think alike? Comparing perceptions of the social determinants of health between non-profit and governmental actors in two Canadian cities

Cities are important sites for intervention on social determinants of health (SDOH); yet, little is known about how influential local actors, namely workers in municipal governments (GOVs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), perceive the SDOH. Capturing and comparing perceptions between these groups are important for assessing how SDOH discourse has permeated local actors' thinking--a meaningful endeavour as local-level health equity action often invokes inter-institutional partnerships. This paper compares SDOH perceptions between CBO workers in Hamilton, Ontario, with politicians and senior-level staff in GOVs in Vancouver, British Columbia, based on two studies with surveys containing identical questions on SDOH perceptions. Overall, there was high comparability between the groups in their relative ratings of the SDOH. Both groups assigned high levels of 'influence' and 'priority' to 'healthy lifestyles' and 'clean air and water' and lower levels to 'strong community' and 'income'. Given the importance of a shared vision in collaborative enterprises, the comparability of perceptions between the groups found here holds promise for the prospect of inter-institutional partnerships. However, the low rating assigned to more structural health determinants suggests that more work is needed from researchers and advocates to effectively advance a health equity agenda at the local level in Canada.

Critical health literacy: a review and critical analysis

Though there has been a considerable expansion of interest in the health literacy concept worldwide, there has also been criticism that this concept has been poorly defined, that it stretches the idea of "literacy" to an indefensible extent and more specifically, that it adds little to the existing concerns and intervention approaches of the better established discipline of health promotion. This paper takes as a starting point the expanded model of health literacy advanced by Nutbeam (2000) and addresses these concerns by interrogating the concept of "critical health literacy" in order to draw conclusions about its utility for advancing the health of individuals and communities. The constituent domains of critical health literacy are identified; namely information appraisal, understanding the social determinants of health, and collective action, and as far as possible each are clearly delineated, with links to related concepts made explicit. The paper concludes that an appreciation of work undertaken in a range of different disciplines, such as media studies, medical sociology, and evidence-based medicine can enhance our understanding of the critical health literacy construct and help us understand its usefulness as a social asset which helps individuals towards a critical engagement with health information. There is some evidence that aspects of critical health literacy have indeed been found to be a resource for better health outcomes, but more research is needed in this area, both to develop quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluating health literacy skills, and to offer convincing evidence that investment in programmes designed to enhance critical health literacy are worthwhile.

The social determinants of health: how can a radical agenda be mainstreamed?

The social justice framing within the WHO Commission's Report on the Social Determinants of Health is vital. Yet it can too easily be dismissed as ideology and an unfit justification for major change. Although the general public acknowledges that structural factors, such as poverty, can affect health, they tend to see personal health behaviours as the strongest determinants of health, mirroring the main focus of health providers in recent decades. Thus a social reform agenda, while being an integral part of public health history, is nowadays too often seen as remote from the essential core of work in health. Translating the Commission's agenda into action therefore requires a recalibration of our entire health system, starting with an understanding of how complex issues can be framed in ways that inspire action, endorse mutuality of interests and enhance the perceived efficacy of the solutions, among the myriad of actors in position to make the reduction of health inequities succeed or fail. A sophisticated discourse analysis and/or communications research agenda could help to move us forward. It involves understanding and reframing the way politicians, policy-makers, practitioners and the public see "the problem" and reframing the potential of many roles in "the solution".

Network analysis as a tool to assess the intersectoral management of health determinants at the local level: a report from an exploratory study of two Cuban municipalities

Intersectoral action on health determinants has long been recognized as an important factor in achieving better population health. Nevertheless, there is no process that provides empirical evidence to policy-makers on the extent of intersectoral collaboration. We aimed to fill this gap by conducting case studies in two municipalities in Cuba, a country well known for its intersectoral practice and good health outcomes. We surveyed an intentional sample of key members of Health Councils - virtual intersectoral spaces in Cuba - about links and related actions they had with other sectors on eleven health determinants. Using network analysis we were able to produce measures to evaluate and characterize the network of sectors. Findings show that the two municipalities were similar in reported importance of health determinants, extent of long-term engagement in intra-sectors actions and level of collaboration with other sectors for virtually all determinants. Municipalities also showed similar overall levels of collaboration for most determinants when considered as a network of different sectors (network density). However municipalities showed differences in the central role played by some sectors (centrality index). We further used the network analysis blockmodeling technique to typify the municipal Health Councils. We found that while one Health Council can be typified by a single well connected network structure, the other has two distinct structures with more sparse connections. We conclude that intersectoral collaboration can be assessed by the use of network analysis measurements. This approach is novel and provides evidence to decision-makers about their role and their effort towards collaboration in achieving better health outcomes.

Getting serious about the social determinants of health: new directions for public health workers

International interest in the social determinants of health and their public policy antecedents is increasing. Despite evidence that as compared to other wealthy nations Canada presents a mediocre population health profile and public policy environments increasingly less supportive of health, the Canadian public health gaze is firmly - and narrowly - focused on lifestyle issues of diet, physical activity and tobacco use. Much of this has to do with Canada being identified as being driven by a liberal political economy, a situation shared with a cluster of other developed nations. Reasons for Canada's neglect of structural and public policy issues are explored and ways by which public health workers in Canada and elsewhere can help to shift policymakers and the general public's understandings of the determinants of health are outlined.

Addressing the non-medical determinants of health: a survey of Canada's health regions

BACKGROUND

The Canadian health system is undergoing reform. Over the past decade a prominent trend has been creation of health regions. This structural shift is concurrent with a greater emphasis on population health and the broad determinants of health. In parallel, there is a movement toward more intersectoral collaboration (i.e., collaboration between diverse segments of the health system, and between the health system and other sectors of society). The purpose of this exploratory study is to determine the self-reported level of internal action (within regional health authorities) and intersectoral collaboration around 10 determinants of health by regional health authorities across Canada.

METHODS

From September 2003 to February 2004, we undertook a survey of regional health authorities in Canadian provinces (N = 69). Using SPSS 12.0, we generated frequencies for the self-reported level of internal and intersectoral action for each determinant. Other analyses were done to compare rural/suburban and urban regions, and to compare Western, Central and Eastern Canada.

RESULTS

Of the 10 determinants of health surveyed, child development and personal health practices were self-reported by the majority of health regions to receive greatest attention, both internally and through intersectoral activities. Culture, gender and employment/working conditions received least attention in most regions.

CONCLUSION

The exploratory survey results give us the first Canadian snapshot of health regions' activities in relation to the broad range of non-medical determinants of health. They provide a starting data set for baselining future progress, and for beginning deeper analyses of specific areas of action and intersectoral collaboration.

Knowledge into action?

The objective of this study was to explore the presence of ideological barriers to addressing local health inequalities in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A survey of active citizens revealed low levels of awareness of the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework, and some incongruence between understanding and attitudes towards the SDOH. Support for addressing health inequalities was associated with awareness of the SDOH framework, liberal value-systems, and a cluster of socio-demographic characteristics. Liberal leaning participants were also more politically active than their conservative counterparts. Ideological barriers included lack of SDOH awareness, narrow understandings of the relative influences of the SDOH, resistance to de-prioritizing healthcare, and conservative values. Advancement of a SDOH policy agenda should incorporate wider dissemination efforts to citizens and local service providers to increase support for this framework, and utilization of existing support and political engagement from liberal-leaning demographics.

Achieving a “Broad View of Health”

Promoting a “broad view of health” is an important objective of the healthy cities movement, including recognition of the powerful role that social relations and living conditions play in the health of community members. This article presents a quantitative approach to assessing consensus and change in ideas about health determinants among local coalition members. A ranking of five determinants of health in the form of paired comparisons was included in a survey of coalition members of 20 local healthy communities projects in California. Findings revealed conflicting views among members in the planning year, with some respondents emphasizing the role of social factors and living conditions and others emphasizing the role of health care and lifestyle decisions. Data collected at the end of the funded intervention showed movement toward a broader view of health, with greater consensus on this view in select communities.

'Reasonable access' to primary care: assessing the role of individual and system characteristics

Access to health care continues to be an important issue for health policy makers, researchers, service providers and consumers alike. In countries with universal health care coverage, services are generally free at the point of delivery which is intended to provide equitable access to care for all residents regardless of their individual situations. Past studies have pointed to the importance of individual characteristics such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status in shaping access to health care but much less is known about the role of health system characteristics. The purpose of this study is to explore, by means of qualitative research methods, the extent to which individual and system factors shape access to primary health care services for residents living in two contrasting neighbourhoods in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 men and women. The interviews probed participants about their experiences with primary care, barriers to receiving care and their general perceptions of the health care system. The interviews demonstrated the existence of many system-related barriers to receiving health care (e.g., wait times, geographic inaccessibility and quality of care) and some individual-related barriers (e.g., work or family responsibilities). While the findings revealed little difference between the neighbourhoods in terms of accessibility problems and barriers, differences between men and women were evident.

Responses of established healthcare to the professionalization of complementary and alternative medicine in Ontario

This paper examines the reactions of leaders of established health professions in Ontario, Canada to the efforts of selected complementary and alternative (CAM) occupational groups (chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncture/traditional Chinese doctors, homeopaths and Reiki practitioners) to professionalize. Stakeholder theory provides the framework for analysis of competing interests among the various groups in the healthcare system. The data are derived from personal interviews with 10 formal leaders from medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, clinical nutrition and public health. We conceived of these leaders as one group of stakeholders, with both common and conflicting interests. The findings demonstrate that these stakeholders are reluctant to endorse the professionalization of CAM. They propose a series of strategies to contain the acceptance of CAM groups, such as insisting on scientific evidence of safety and efficacy, resisting integration of CAM with conventional medicine and opposing government support for research and education. These strategies serve to protect the dominant position of medicine and its allied professions, and to maintain existing jurisdictional boundaries within the healthcare system. The popular support for CAM will require that health professional stakeholders continue to address the challenges this poses, and at the same time protect their position at the apex of the healthcare pyramid.

What new knowledge would help policymakers better balance investments for optimal health outcomes?

OBJECTIVE

Review the limitations in cross-sectoral health outcomes research and suggest a future research agenda. DATA SOURCES, STUDY DESIGN, DATA COLLECTION: Literature review and workshop discussion.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The research evidence that would aid public and private policy makers in answering the question the title poses is quite limited.

CONCLUSIONS

Much more evidence from diverse disciplines is needed, and key areas are suggested. Criteria for progress by 2010 are proposed.

Does deliberation make a difference? Results from a citizens panel study of health goals priority setting

How to involve the public in setting health and health care priorities is a constant challenge for health system decisions. Policy maker interest in involving the public in increasingly complex and value-laden priority setting processes has led to the use of deliberative public involvement methods designed to promote discussion and debate among participants with the objective of obtaining more informed and consensual views. These methods have not been evaluated rigorously using controlled designs with pre- and post-test measurements. We examined, using a controlled design, the effects of introducing different opportunities for deliberation into a process for obtaining public input into a community health goals priority setting process. Our findings indicate that deliberation does make a difference to participant views. As more deliberation is introduced, participant views may be more amenable to change. Deliberation also offers the potential for views to become more rather than less entrenched. While we are beginning to understand the difference deliberation makes to participant views, we are still at an early stage in understanding the process through which these differences come about and what difference deliberation makes to broader outcomes such as civic competence, civic engagement and health policy decisions.