Health - factors affecting regional variations in health & morbidity

Question 1

What factors affect regional variations in health APE IOE

Answer 1

1. AGE STRUCTURE - if a region predominantly consists of an ageing population then health may be significantly worse as the older generation may be more susceptible to disease.
2. POLLUTION - an urban area is more likely to experience air pollution as a result of the increase transport within that area releasing carbon emissions which could significantly affect individuals health causing respiratory problems in comparison to a rural, more desolate location.
3. ENVIRONMENT - the impact of background radiation may contribute to some diseases
   - for example some rocks in south west England contain high amounts of radon, had the radioactivity from this is though to be responsible for a higher risk of lung cancer
   - The type of water may impact upon health - hard water is found within the south and east of England whereas soft water is found in the north and west - however there has been a consistent relationship between hard water and the prominence of heart disease.
4. INCOME - the wealth of an area may influence health, because if individuals have a high income then they may be more likely to be able to afford to go to the gym and consequently stay healthier and prevent the prominence of diseases such as coronory heart disease.
   - also individuals with a higher income may be able to afford central heating to keep their house warm and insulated within the winter, however if not we may see evidence of seasonal mortality.
5. OCCUPATION - some jobs may be more stressful which could result in maladaptive coping behaviours such as smoking and drinking and taking drugs which can all have a deomental affect on health.

Also some intensive manual labour jobs such as mining may increase the likelihood of respitory problems

However regions which consist of primarily sedentary jobs such as London may result in the prevalence of conditions such as RSI and vascular thrombosis, therefore deteriorating health.

6. EDUCATION - some regions may be more educated and consequently may be more aware of the effects that lifestyle factors may have on their health, for example they may be aware that with a lack of exercise and a diet high in saturated fats it may result in coronory heart disease.
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