Lecture 2: Understanding and addressing inequalities

Question 1

What is the trend in the social gradient in health?

Answer 1

As you move up the social gradient (in this case to people living in less deprived areas) then health outcomes get better.

Question 2

What percent of lung cancer cases can be attributable to smoking?

Answer 2

72%

Question 3

Define inequality in health outcomes?

Answer 3

“Systematic difference in health status, life expectancy, mortality and morbidity between different groups”

Question 4

Define health inequality?

Answer 4

“… can be defined as differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups”

Question 5

Define health inequity?

Answer 5

Health inequalities that are “unnecessary and avoidable as well as unfair and unjust”

Attributable to factors beyond the control of the those concerned.

Question 6

Give an example of a health inequality that is unavoidable?

Answer 6

For example, a difference in mobility between the young and elderly.

Question 7

What is equal healthcare?

Answer 7

Giving everyone the same level of care
(e.g. same budget for every patient)

Question 8

What is equitable health care?

Answer 8

Giving everyone the level care of they need to be healthy (e.g. smaller/larger budgets for those with lesser/greater needs)

Question 9

Does care need to be equal or equitable to reduce health inequalities?

Answer 9

Equitable

Question 10

Name one of the most successful modern public health interventions:

Answer 10

The Smoking Ban (2007)

Question 11

Why is it that most health determinants can only called contributory factors rather than causes of health outcomes?

Answer 11

There may be individual variation within population level data

Question 12

What is the Inverse Care Law state:

Answer 12

those with the most need tend to get worse care (access to care and experience of care)