Social Inequalities in Health and Illness Flashcards
What is the definition of absolute poverty?
If a person is living in conditions which meet at least two of the criteria for indicators of poverty and deprivation set up by the UN
What is the definition of relative poverty?
Relative poverty is defined in relation to a measure in the country where a person lives e.g. in the EU household income <60% of national median (deep poverty <40%)
What are the united nations 7 main indicators of deprivation?
Dirty water lack of sanitation lack of shelter Poor nutrition and insufficient calories lack of essential medical/maternity care no access to education information deprivation
Is the definition of absolute poverty consistent across countries?
Yes
In wealthy countries, which type of poverty is more important to understand the differences in morbidity and mortality?
Relative poverty
What 3 factors define social class?
Economics
Politics (status, power)
Cultural (education, lifestyle)
What is meant by the ‘social gradient’?
There is strong evidence for inequalities in morbidity and mortality by occupational social class
What were the Whitehall studies?
Large studies in 1960s/80s about social gradient and health in civil servants
Found clear stepwise social gradient in physical and mental health
What are the 4 explanations for the relationship between social inequalities and health ?
Health Selection
Individual and Behavioural
Materialist
Life-course
What is the health selection ‘social drift’ explanation for the relationship between social inequalities and health?
Healthiest move upwards and unhealthy drift downwards. Illness causes a downward shift in social position.
(up to 50% of homeless people are disabled)
How can health selection be combated?
Reduce discrimination
Improve access to education, training and employment for disabled people
Support ill people from falling into poverty
What is the behavioural explanation for the relationship between social inequality and health?
Social position is linked to health status through lifestyle - those further down the social gradient are more likely to smoke, drink etc
This can be seen as cultural or individual
What is the solution to the behavioural explanation?
Focus on education and the individual
What is the materialist explanation for the relationship between social inequality and health?
Social structure and the environment influence mental health
e.g. poor housing, education, unemployment, working conditions
Class structure is a root cause of health inequalities due to unequal distribution of resources
What is the solution to the materialist explanation?
Fairer distribution of resources e.g. through taxes
