Soc inequality - Reasons why health inequality exists Flashcards
Factors
smoking, drinking to excess, toxic masculinity and gender
LOA
This essay will argue that the critical role of poverty is the underlying factor which contributes to Scotland’s persistent large health inequalities.
Smoking
It can be argued that choosing to smoke can damage your health. Smoking is an addiction and has been linked to life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. Evidence from Ash Scotland 2018 reported that 1/5th of all deaths in Scotland are smoke related which shows that smoking is a significant killer of Scots. This means that the choice to start and continue to smoke makes it significantly more likely that someone will suffer from poor health, which can result in premature death. However, those who live in more deprived areas are more likely to smoke, suggesting poverty might have a significant role to play. For some poorer people smoking relieves the stress they experience from trying to pay for increasing fuel bills. This was highlighted by ASH Scotland 2018 which found that 27% of the poorest 5th in Scotland smoke compared to 9% of the richest 5th in Scotland. This suggests that whilst smoking is a choice, it is far more common among people from social classes D and E on lower incomes. Smoking is a lifestyle choice, but the fact that the poorest in society are more likely to smoke suggests that living in poverty is more likely to cause significant harm to your health.
Excessive drinking of alcohol
It can be argued that the excessive drinking of alcohol can damage your health. The more you drink alcohol the more likely you are to face long term health problems such as liver disease. Every 15 minutes someone in Scotland is hospitalised with an alcohol related illness. This shows that there is a clear drinking problem in Scotland which is causing health issues. However, people who live in deprived areas are more likely to drink, suggesting poverty might have a significant role to play. In deprived areas there are 405 more alcohol outlets than any other areas. This suggests that as deprived areas have more access to alcohol, it can lead to excessive drinking resulting in poor health. So, as people living in poorer areas are more likely to have alcohol related illnesses, it shows a clear link between poverty and health.
Toxic masculinity
It can be argued that toxic masculinity is damaging to men’s health. Due to stereotypes, many men act tough to hide their emotions and refuse to see a GP about any emotional or physical issues. For example, a BBC news report in 2018 claims that 75% of suicides were committed by men. This shows that men struggle underneath the surface but are scared to express it as they will look “weak”. However, traditional male stereotypes are seen more in deprived areas. For example, in 2019 NHS Scotland found that the male suicide rate was 3x higher in deprived areas in Scotland than in less deprived areas. This shows that males living in poverty feel more pressured to fit into gender stereotypes and act tough. So, although men from all different areas suffer from toxic masculinity, there is a higher percentage from poverty ridden areas.
Gender
It can be argued that gender is a factor that contributes to health inequalities. Women are much more likely to report an illness than men as they do not feel as much pressure as men to act “tough”. For example, women are more likely to get checkups for breast/cervical cancer than men are for testicular/bowel cancer. This shows that women are more comfortable seeing their GPs and having checkups than men. However, this is not the case in deprived areas. Women in deprived areas are less likely to consult their GP is they have a health issue. In 2019, NHS Scotland found that poorer women have a 6% less chance of surviving breast cancer than better off women. This shows that poorer women are less likely to attend their GP when their disease is at a later stage and harder to treat. So, although women are more likely to go to the doctors when they have a health problem, women in deprived areas are still suffering from health inequalities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the factors identified all contribute to the health inequalities that exist in Scotland. It can be seen that the individual decision in choosing to smoke and drink can affect the health of everyone. Toxic masculinity affects men of all social classes and there is also clear evidence to show that gender is a contributing factor. However, there is a much stronger link between those on low incomes and ill-health. Overall, it is clear that poverty is the underlying factor which contributes to Scotland’s large health inequalities.
