1. Physical Environments
1.1. Housing Environment
1.1.1. Impact on Health
1.1.1.1. Short Term
1.1.1.1.1. Adequate housing environment can lead to higher self esteem levels in children.
1.1.2. Impact on Development
1.1.2.1. Short Term
1.1.2.1.1. Overcrowding can put excessive demand on bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities, as well as on sewerage systems such as septic tanks. It can lead to the spread of infectious diseases, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases and skin infections.
1.1.2.2. Long Term
1.1.2.2.1. Young people living in overcrowded housing have a higher likelihood of smoking later in life which can cause cancer in the throat and lungs.
2. Behavioral Determinants
2.1. Breastfeeding
2.1.1. Impact on Development
2.1.1.1. Short Term
2.1.1.1.1. Breastfeeding encourages skin-to-skin contact and nurturing, working to soothe and comfort the infant.
2.1.1.2. Long Term
2.1.1.2.1. Breastfeeding has also been linked to improved cognitive development and more recently it has been suggested that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of obesity in childhood.
2.1.2. Impact on Health
2.1.2.1. Short Term
2.1.2.1.1. - Breastfed babies have fewer cases of ear infections, gastrointestinal infections, bacterial meningitis, urinary tract infections and late-onset sepsis in pre-term babies. - - - Breast milk is a source of lactose and essential fatty acids that help a baby’s brain grow and develop. - Breast milk helps regulate healthy bacteria in the baby’s stomach.
2.1.2.2. Long Term
2.1.2.2.1. In the long term it can also protect against chronic diseases such as asthma, immune-related diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease.
3. Biological Determinants
3.1. Bodyweight
3.1.1. Impact on Development
3.1.1.1. Short Term
3.1.1.1.1. Being obese will affect a child’s self-esteem and self-concept and also how they relate to other people. Overweight or obese children may experience being teased by their peers and may have a low self-esteem and poor body image.
3.1.1.2. Long Term
3.1.1.2.1. Research suggests that children who are overweight or obese as children are more likely to be overweight as adults.
3.1.2. Impact on Health
3.1.2.1. Short and Long Term
3.1.2.1.1. Being overweight or obese can have serious long-term and short-term complications for the health of children. These include: eating disorders , high blood pressure , musculoskeletal discomfort , Type 2 diabetes , reflux , asthma and shortness of breath.
4. Social Environments
4.1. Access to Education
4.1.1. Impact on Health
4.1.1.1. Short Term
4.1.1.1.1. School can assist in promoting the health of children by helping them to make informed choices in relation to their health and lifestyle through the provision of knowledge.
4.1.2. Impact on Development
4.1.2.1. Short Term
4.1.2.1.1. Through physical education, school can also improve the fitness of children and help them to maintain a healthy weight.
4.1.2.2. Long Term
4.1.2.2.1. Increased knowledge and improvement of both fine and gross motor skills. Language skills learnt in school help students to communicate with other children and adults.