Health inequalities Flashcards
What’s the definition of health inequality?
Differences between people or groups that have been socially constructed, not due to differences in genetics or physiology
Describe the relationship between health and socio-economic disadvantage
The more deprived a person = higher proportion of their life spent in ill health. More likely to die at young age.
Examples of social determinants
Occupation
Geographical area
Income
What are some explanations for health inequalities?
Black report (artefact, social selection, behavioural-cultural, materialist)
Psychosocial
Income distribution
Evaluate psychosocial explanation to health inequalities
Negative life events, lack of social support and autonomy at work contribute to social gradient.
-direct impact= physiological, immune system
-indirect impact= mental health, health related behaviours
Evaluate income distribution explanation to health inequalities
Relative income affects health
Countries with greatest income equalities have greater health inequalities
Most egalitarian(equal) societies have best health
Increased income equality= increased stress, decreased health
Redistributive policies- decrease income inequality may improve social/health factors
What are the features of the black report?
Artefact- health inequalities evident due to way statistics are measured.
Social selection- direction of causation is from health to social position
Behavioural-cultural- ill health due to people’s choices. Disadvantaged background, more likely to engage in more health damaging behaviours.
Materialist- inequalities in health arise from differential access to material resources
Evaluate artefact in black report
Concerns about quality of data and method of measurement.
Most discredited explanation
Data problems usually lead to underestimation
Evaluation social selection explanation of black report
Sick people move down social hierarchy, healthy people more up.
Disabled people at a disadvantage.
Plausible explanation but minor contribution
Evaluate behavioural-cultural explanation of black report
People from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to engage in more health-damaging behaviours.
Limitations: ‘choices’ difficult to exercise in difficult decisions, ‘choices’ rational due to lack of resources, behaviour is outcome of social process.
Evaluate materialist explanation of black report
MOST plausible explanation
Lack of choice in exposure in hazard
Accumulation of factors across life-course
Limitations: future research needed to determine which material deprivation causes ill health
How is access to healthcare measured?
Utilisation studies measure receipt of services
Evaluate utilisation studies
Limitation: people who have no access
It’s difficult to interpret and controversial
How do deprived groups tend to use healthcare services?
Increased use of GP and emergency services
Decreased use in preventative (screening) and specialist services (cancer treatment)
What is the Deprivation and access theory?
Evidence of poorer access for lower socioeconomic groups.
Manage health as series of crises
Normalisation of ill health
Difficulty assembling resources needed for engagement of health services
