S3 - Tackling Health Inequalities

Question 1

What is the artefact explanation for health inequalities?

Limitations…

Answer 1

Health inequalities are evident due to the way stats are collected.

Concerns about the quality of the data and how it’s measured - most discredited explanation. Possibly lead to an underestimation of inequalities.

Question 2

What is the social selection explanation for health inequalities?

Answer 2

Causation is from health top social position - sick individuals move down the social hierarchy and healthy individuals move up.

Chronically ill/disabled people are more disadvantaged.

Question 3

What is the behavioural-cultural explanation for health inequalities?

Limitations…

Answer 3

Ill health is due to people’s choices/decisions, knowledge and goals.

…behaviours are due to social processes and choices may be difficult to exercise in adverse conditions/if a person is constrained by a lack of resources

Question 4

What is the materialist explanation for health inequalities?

Limitations…

Answer 4

Inequalities in health arise from varying access to material resources - a lack in choice of exposure to hazards/adverse conditions.

Accumulation of factors over life-course.

…further research is needed as to how exactly material deprivation causes ill-health

Question 5

What is the psychosocial explanation for health inequalities?

Answer 5

Health is influenced by differences in income rather than actual income

E.g. if in an area there is a steep social gradient, the poorer people are more affected than those in a less steep social gradient area.

Question 6

What is the income distribution explanation for health inequalities?

Answer 6

Relative income affects health.

Countries with greater income inequalities have more health inequalities.

The most neutral (egalitarian) societies have the best health

Associated with psychosocial explanation.

Question 7

What is an inequality?

What is an inequity?

Answer 7

Inequality - when things are different/unequal

Inequity - inequalities that are unfair and avoidable

Question 8

Examples of inequities in healthcare for deprived groups:

Answer 8

Higher rates of use of GP and emergency services

Under use of preventative services ad specialist services.