Economic Factors Flashcards
What is ‘relative poverty’?
Can afford essentials, but not many other resources. Often face social exclusion.
What is ‘absolute poverty’?
Cannot afford essential resources. High stress and health risks.
Positive impacts of having sufficient income?
Those with higher incomes are more able to pay for health boosters such as gym memberships and nutritious food.
What is the ‘poverty line’ and how does growing up in poverty affect development?
The ‘poverty line’ is defined as a household income of less than 60% of the median income of the country.
Growing up in poverty poses significant problems for child development:
- Lower birth weight
- Poorer school achievement
- Higher likelihood of unemployment in later life
- Social impact, e.g. being bullied
- Higher risk of chronic illness during childhood
What are the benefits of having a good job?
- Higher income
- Supportive colleagues
- Sense of achievement
- Build skills
- Positive self esteem
How does a person’s background affect their education and achievements?
Children from a poorer background tend to do less well at school, and show slower skill acquisition. Poor health can also affect educational attainment, as a child with a chronic illness may be less likely to attend school regularly.
This also has an effect on the level of employment status that a child could expect to achieve in later life. For example, those with fewer qualifications are less likely to get a higher-status, high-paying job. This can also affect self-esteem and well-being.
Lifestyle - How does exercise impact on development?
Helps to burn energy provided by food and prevent weight gain. Exercise also has numerous health benefits, including: cardiovascular health; reduced fatigue; muscle strength; promotes mental health; and improved sleep.
The risk of serious health problems is also substantially reduced.
Lifestyle - How does diet impact on development?
More than a quarter of UK adults are overweight. Diet quality relates to income and convenience – however, having a healthy diet with the right nutritional balance helps the body to work effectively.
For example, eating enough calcium helps bones to increase in strength. Certain foods raise your risk of health problems – for example, frequently eating processed meats raises the risk of bowel cancer.
Lifestyle - How does drug use impact on development?
Some people use drugs for their recreational effects, but many drugs carry side effects and an increased risk of health problems. For example, cocaine raises the risk of a heart attack.
Regularly consuming alcohol at unsafe levels (more than 14 units per week) also carries health risks, such as: liver damage; cancer; heart disease; accident/injury.
