After reading and learning about the social determinants of health, I reflected on each of these things and thought of how they relate to countries and people I have learned about in the past. Many of them, such as addiction and food, I expected to see on the list. There were others however, that I was initially surprised to see. Eventually further detail-oriented analyses made it quite obvious to me that such messages are indeed a social determinant of health. Many of the messages listed were in relation to stress-oriented things in a person’s life, which I was surprised to see. Although I was previously aware of the immense toll that stress can have on a person, I never truly considered all the ways that it can have an affect.
When considering Colombia, I found many of these determinants to be relevant in the everyday lives of women. The one that stood out to me most was social support. With many of my previous blog contributions for this course, I have touched on the prevailing gender-based violence that occurs in Colombia. This weeks reading have only further intrigued me on studying more of this occurrence, and now how it relates to social determinants of health. In my previous studies, I have found that women being abused and molested has taken a massive toll on not only their physical health, but also emotional and psychological. As a psychology major, I tended to focus my inquiries on this path of studies, however I have now realized that this is perhaps holding me back from understanding the greater picture of the Colombian women’s struggles.
Looking at the lifestyle of a Colombian woman when considering social determinants of health truly opened my mind in this way. I had wondered about the strength of the Colombian culture’s social support system and how it affected this commonly seen abuse. It seems as though families are close-knit overall, and value this bond, however this does not mean that they speak up for themselves or each other in times of inter-familial mistreatment. Because domestic abuse is so common, each woman of the family has likely experienced it and therefore have created a never-ending cycle of masculine misconduct (Friedemann-Sanchez et al, 2012). The determinant of social support touches on this network of support that, if a family is lacking, can cause harm on one’s health (WHO, 2003). Perhaps if this occurrence was less common, there would be unaffected family members that could convince women not to just take the abuse, because that’s the way it has been and will always be, but to stand up for her own rights. Instead, the current social network emphasizes women keeping quiet and doing their wifely duties, or else face the punishments. A 2005 study of intimate partner violence in Colombia exposed this mentality, describing even the effects that this cycle has on early childhood health issues. Not only do the wives lack a strong social support network, but this gets passed onto the children (Friedemann-Sanchez et al, 2012). When searching for answers to solve this crisis, it is important to consider policy measures that not only span the life cycle but also include the entirety of the family. This way, social support networks can be mended and mentalities can be improved for the wellbeing of all. Without such action, “social isolation and exclusion is often associated with premature death and poorer chances of survival after a heart attack” as well as many mental and physical health issues that I have deeply studied in previous weeks (WHO, 2003).
Through the articles I have read this week, I have found the importance of social cohesion within a community and how it can affect members in ways more than just mental. A well cohesive community helps not only to protect people in a physical way, such as that of preventing domestic abuse, but also by simply improving their health. In desperate times of violence, crime, or any other stressor, simply having mutual support can release some of the tension and make times easier. A group of people with similar mentalities and goals results in a more successful and healthy community, which is something I hope Colombia is striving for and will eventually achieve (Friedkin 2004).
Friedemann-Sanchez, Greta, and Rodrigo Lovaton. “Intimate Partner Violence in Colombia: Who Is at Risk?” Oxford University Press, vol. 91, no. 2, Dec. 2012, pp. 663–688.
Friedkin, Noah F. “Social Cohesion.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 30, no. 20, 2004, pp. 409–425.
WHO. “The Solid Facts.” Social Determinants of Health, 2003, drive.google.com/file/d/1ubK2nSOuNnZS9X5vvt7C7rwqQq370tnh/view.