Health Geog

Question 1

Social model of health

Answer 1

‘The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work & age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power & resources at global, national & local levels’.

Question 2

Deprivation amplification

Answer 2

‘A process applying across the whole range of environmental influences on health, by which disadvantages arriving from poorer quality environments (e.g. lack of public transport) amplify individual disadvantages in ways which are detrimental to health.’
•Chicago: Poor social conditions (e.g. lack of neighbourhood social cohesion) resulted in vulnerable people dying alone

Question 3

Why might parks be considered structures for health?

Answer 3

• links to mental well-being (green space)
• Opportunities for informal socialising & community building (social capital)
• Importance of nature exposure for children
• Opportunities for outdoor play for children, especially in disadvantaged areas
• Opportunities for physical activity

Question 4

Park study - what did we find?

Answer 4

-Park quality varied by neighbourhood - level health status was generally lower among poor health neighbourhoods as health stats improved
-Parks in poorer health neighbourhood had 3 main material disadvantages:
•Pronounced concentrations of physical incivilities, limited provision of facilities for physical exercise
-Parks in the healthiest neighbourhoods contained more high quality features, specifically facilities for recreation & physical activity

Question 5

Inequality paradox

Answer 5

Sometimes interventions can make inequality worse, what if only people from better off neighbourhoods come to the new park?

Question 6

Obesogenic environments

Answer 6

OE: Built environments that provide dietary consumption practices & physical inactivity patterns

Question 7

Healthism

Answer 7

Healthism:
“Preoccupation with personal health as a primary focus for the definition & achievement of well being: a goal which is to be attained primarily through the modification of life styles”(Crawford, 1980)
-Achieving health, & practicing it requisite lifestyle habits (exercise), becomes a moral benchmark against which people are judged (Brown&Duncan,2002)