Models Of Health: Competing or Complementary Flashcards
Biomedicine/biomedical model of health
The conventional approach to medicine in western societies based on the diagnosis and explanation of illness as a malfunction of the body’s biological mechanisms. This approach underpins most health professions and health services, which focus on treating individuals and generally ignores the social origins of illness and it’s prevention.
Cartesian Dualism
Mind/body dualism. Refers to the belief that the mind and body are seperate entities. Assumption underpins medical approaches.
Epidemiology
The statistical study of patterns of disease in the population.
Epidemiological transition
A change in disease patterning in countries, from infectious diseases to chronic or ‘lifestyle’ diseases.
The social gradient of health
A continuum of health inequality in most countries from high to low, where the poorest group of people have the worst health status, and each group above it has progressively better health, with the most sociological-economically advantaged group having the best health status.
Universal declaration of human rights (1948)
The significant international human rights agreement made by the United Nations. The UDHR outlines 30 human rights, and led to many other human rights declarations and policies.
Human rights
Rights held to be justifiably belonging to any person.
Social model of health
A model of health that focuses on social determinants of health such as the social production, distribution and construction of health and illness, and the social organisation of health care. It directs attention to the prevention of illness through community participation and social reforms that address living and working conditions.
Social determinant of health
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development, agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems.
Socio-economic status
A statistical measure of relative inequality that classifies individuals, households, or families into one of these three categories- low SES, middle SES, or high SES- derived from a combination of income, occupation, and education.
Public health infrastructure
The buildings, installations, and equipment necessary to ensure healthy living conditions for the population.
Equity
Fairness, the application of the principles of justice to correct or supplement rules of law.
Health equity
The absence of avoidable differences in health.
Health inequality
Different health status associated with various social groups.
The champagne glass
The unequal distribution of world income concentrates wealth in the top 20% of the worlds population, forming the shape of a champagne glass.
