Determinants of Health

Curriculum Links

Subject Area: Health and Physical Education
Level: Year 10 (Australian Curriculum, Achievement Standard - "Students critically analyse contextual factors that influence identities, relationships, decisions, and behaviours.")
Focus: Developing an understanding of the socioeconomic and environmental determinants of health consistent with the Australian Government’s framework on Social Determinants of Health.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand how different determinants of health influence individual health outcomes.
2. Explain how determinants can act as either enablers or barriers to health and wellbeing.
3. Categorise determinants into personal, social, and community levels.
4. Identify and evaluate key determinants that influence homelessness in Australia.

---

Lesson Overview

Duration: 140 minutes
Class Size: 28 students
Structure: Interactive workshop model with discussion, group work, and creative activities for engagement and learning.

---

Lesson Structure

Introduction (15 Minutes)

Purpose: Set the scene and contextualise the significance of health determinants.

Step 1: Icebreaker – The “Pizza of Health” (5 minutes)

• Activity: On the whiteboard, draw a large pizza divided into four slices. Label each slice with a sector: Personal, Social, Environmental, and Economic. Ask students for real-life examples of things that might affect their health (e.g., housing—environmental; income—economic). Jot down responses in the sections.
• Purpose: Quickly introduces students to the interconnected nature of health determinants in a creative way and allows them to provide real-world examples.

Step 2: Definition of Key Terms (10 minutes)

• Teacher-Led Activity: Using the example of someone’s health outcome (e.g., smoking prevalence, healthy diet), explain the 15 determinants of health (life expectancy, income, education, housing, food security, etc.). Provide specific examples relevant to Australian contexts (e.g., health outcomes in rural versus urban Australia).
• Focus on ensuring clarity in classification of determinants and laying the foundation for further activities. Hand out a one-page summary as a reference.

---

Activity 1: Mapping the Impact (30 minutes)

Purpose: Deepen understanding of how determinants act as enablers or barriers.

Step 1: Small Group Work – Scenarios (15 minutes)

• Divide the class into 7 groups with 4 students in each group, leaving 1 group of 3 as observers.
• Assign each group a scenario of a fictionalised Australian individual, e.g.:
  • A single mother living in regional WA.
  • A first-year apprentice in Sydney sharing accommodation.
  • An Indigenous elder in remote Northern Territory.
  • Someone experiencing homelessness in Melbourne.
• Task: Groups brainstorm how the individual’s health is influenced by determinants both positively (as enablers) and negatively (as barriers).
• Provide each group with a worksheet featuring guiding questions to scaffold answers:
  • What determinants positively/negatively affect health in this individual’s situation?
  • Are any of these barriers/enablers specific only to Australia’s context?

Step 2: Class Discussion – Debrief (15 minutes)

• Groups share their thoughts in a 5-minute presentation to foster conversations about diverse Australian contexts. Encourage reflection on how structural inequities emerge.

---

Activity 2: Categorising Determinants (25 Minutes)

Purpose: Practice sorting determinants into levels and exploring interconnections.

Step 1: Sorting Exercise – Personal, Social, or Community (15 minutes)

• Students individually receive a cut-and-paste activity sheet with the 15 determinants of health. On a poster, they categorise these determinants under three levels:
  • Personal: e.g., genetics, age, lifestyle choices.
  • Social: e.g., education, family support, community norms.
  • Community: e.g., healthcare services, housing quality, government policy.
• Students pair up and compare their sorting choices to generate discussion.

Step 2: Teacher Recap (10 minutes)

• Facilitate clarification and further reflection on areas of confusion. Pose questions like:
  • “Could some determinants fit into more than one category? Why?”
  • “What does this tell us about the complexity of health outcomes?”

---

Activity 3: Homelessness and Determinants of Health (50 Minutes)

Purpose: Explore how homelessness, a significant social issue in Australia, is influenced by health determinants.

Step 1: Brainstorm – Root Causes of Homelessness (10 minutes)

• Whole-class brainstorm: What determinants contribute to homelessness? Prompt answers across different levels (personal, social, community). Record responses on the board.

Step 2: Group Work – Mini Case Study (30 minutes)

• Activity: Groups of 4 are assigned a mini case study of a homeless individual or family in Australia. Examples include:
  • A teenager couch-surfing with friends after family conflict.
  • A middle-aged man who lost his job due to illness.
  • A refugee family struggling with housing affordability.
• Task: Groups analyse the determinants that contributed to the homelessness of their case.
  • Identify specific enablers or barriers present in the story.
  • Suggest solutions or interventions that might improve the individual's circumstances.

Step 3: Presentation (10 minutes)

• Each group presents their case study to the class and shares their proposed strategies.

---

Conclusion (20 Minutes)

Purpose: Consolidate learning and encourage actionable perspectives.

Step 1: Personal Reflection – “Who Holds the Power?” (10 minutes)

• Students journal answers to the following reflective questions:
  • Which determinants were the most influential in the activities today?
  • How do governments, communities, and individuals hold different levels of responsibility for creating change?
  • What can you do, as a young person, to influence health determinants in your community?

Step 2: Teacher Q&A and Key Takeaways (10 minutes)

• Recap the 15 determinants and clarify any lingering questions.
• End with the slogan: "Your health is shaped by much more than your choices—it’s shaped by where you live, learn, play, and grow."

---

Resources Needed

• Projector
• Large whiteboard or butcher paper
• Handouts: one-page summary of determinants, cut-and-paste sorting activity, mini case studies and worksheets
• Scissors, glue sticks, coloured markers for categorisation activity

---

Assessment Opportunities

1. Ability to correctly identify and classify the 15 determinants in activities.
2. Verbal contributions and group presentations reflecting an understanding of determinants as enablers or barriers.
3. Thoughtful personal reflections demonstrating comprehension of homelessness and systemic influences in Australian contexts.

---

Extension Activity (Optional)

Title: Advocate for Change
Students can write letters to their local government representative highlighting how addressing homelessness via health determinants could improve outcomes for Australians.

---

End of Lesson Plan