When people change environment their patterns of disease risk change.(Marmot & Wilkinson, 1999).
Environmental, socioeconomic and behavioral factors are affecting the health of New Zealanders, more than by the provision of health care; this essay will critically discuss these three factors. The world health organization (WHO) has, defined good health as not merely the absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.(National Health Committee,1998).Good health enables people to participate fully in society and provides the means by which people can pursue their goals in life.(National Health Committee,1998).
The causes of poor health are complex. Some determinants have been shown in a variety of settings to have the greatest influence: Income and poverty, employment and occupation, education, housing, population based services, social cohesion and culture and ethnicity.(National Health Committee, 1998). However Income is the single most important determinant of health (National Health Committee, 1998).If income is the most important determinant of health then we have to consider the participation in paid employment. Unemployment is detrimental to both physical and mental health and unemployed people in New Zealand report poorer health status than people who are employed. (National health Committee,1998).In measuring socio-economic indicators we have to consider not only income but other factors like occupation, housing and education. Researches seem to be advocating education as the most reliable measure of socioeconomic status.(Lauer, 1998).There is a good evidence that a low level of education is associated with poor health status. (National Health Committee,1998).
Poor access to medical care tends to correlate strongly with other indicators of social disadvantage such as high rates of population turnover, criminality and sub-standard housing. (Lauer,1998) The location, physical quality, level of overcrowding and the cost of housing all impact directly on health.