Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health Flashcards
How can socio-economic status be measured ?
- Individual occupation
- Area of residence
- Health status (life expectancy & infant mortality)
Deprivation is strongly associated with ill health.
Explain the relationship between these two factors
The more deprived a person is, the larger the proportion of their life will be spent in ill health and the more like they are to die at a young age
The Black Report offers explanations, theories and pathways for inequalities in health.
Outline the explanation proposed in Artefact
- Health inequalities are evident due to the way statistics are collected
- Concerns are about quality of data and method of measurement
- Discredited as more often data problems lead to underestimation of inequalities
The Black Report offers explanations, theories and pathways for inequalities in health.
Outline the explanation proposed in Social Selection
- Direction of causation is from health to social position
- Sick individuals move down social hierarchy, healthy individuals move up
- Plausible explanation but minor contribution
The Black Report offers explanations, theories and pathways for inequalities in health.
Outline the explanation proposed in Behaviour-cultural
- Ill health is due to people’s choices/decision, knowledge and goals
- People from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to engage in more health-damaging behaviours
- Limited as behaviours are outcomes of social processes, not simply individual choice
The Black Report offers explanations, theories and pathways for inequalities in health.
Outline the explanation proposed in Materialist
- Inequalities in health arise from differential access to material resources – low income; unemployment; work environments; low control over job; poor housing conditions
- Most plausible
The Black Report offers explanations, theories and pathways for inequalities in health.
Outline the explanation proposed in Psychosocial
- Psychosocial pathways act in addition to direct effects of absolute material living standards
- Some stressors are distributed on a social gradient of psychosocial factors – e.g. negative life events, social support, autonomy at work; job security
The Black Report offers explanations, theories and pathways for inequalities in health.
Outline the explanation proposed in Income distribution
- Relative (not average) income affects health
- Countries with greater income inequalities have greater health inequalities
- The most egalitarian (not the richest) societies that have the best health
Which services do more deprived groups use?
- GP services
- Emergency services
Which services do more deprived groups under use?
- Preventive services e.g screening, LTC reviews, outpatients
- Specialist services e.g. CABG and cancer treatments
