Health determinants

In health determinants, students develop an understanding of the factors that determine health and wellbeing outcomes. The impact of health determinants and health status will differ according to individual, local, and global contexts. 

Health determinants may include:

• environmental factors
• socioeconomic characteristics
• knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs
• health behaviours
• psychological factors
• safety factors
• biomedical factors
• individual physical and psychological make-up
• connection to Country/Place
• cultural and spiritual factors.

Learning activities

The following learning activities are suggestions only. Teachers may select and adapt suitable activities from this list or design their own.

Students may develop an understanding of health determinants by:

• recognising inequalities in health outcomes 
• identifying the changing nature of health determinants
• challenging stereotypes that impact on health outcomes 
• exploring how the media presents health issues
• analysing competing views about a contemporary issue
• assessing risk and making informed choices to maintain health and wellbeing
• examining the impacts of climate change on health and wellbeing
• assessing how displacement or mass-migration affects health and wellbeing
• exploring the influence of cultural and religious practices on health and wellbeing
• considering the impact of connection to Country/Place on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.