Social Influences on Health Flashcards
Define macro-social influences
Large-scale social, economic, political and cultural forces that influence the life course of people simultaneously
Give examples of macro-social influences
- Actions and policies of governmental organisations
- Cultures
- Historical legacies
- Organised religions
- Multinational corporations and banks
- Unpredictable, large-scale environmental events
What are the issues with macro-social influences?
- Dominant public health policy assumes individuals are responsible for their own health
- Clarification: Illness due to personal lifestyle is seen as a fault of the individual, not a consequence of macro-social influences
How does poverty affect health as a macro-social influence?
- Approx. 70% of the world’s population live in low-middle income countries
- Half of the world’s population lacks access to medical care and essential drugs
- Other effects of poverty: Safe water, Sanitation, Adequate diet, Housing, Basic education
Explain SES
- SES = Socioeconomic status
- Measure of wealth, education and status
- Higher SES = better health and longer life expectancy
Explain social capital
- Social capital defines elements of social relationships as resources (Community engagement, trust and safety, reciprocity, and diversity)
- Certain communities have greater social capital and often have more positive health outcomes
How do gender differences affect lifespan?
- Men die earlier than women, but women have poorer health
- In less developed countries, men still live longer
How do gender differences affect illness type?
- Women suffer more non-fatal illnesses and hospitalised more often
- Women have twice the rate of depression compared to men
- Men have higher rates of injuries, suicides, homicides and heart disease
What are the psychosocial and lifestyle differences among women?
- Childbirth
- Rape
- Domestic violence
- Sexism
- Work inequalities
- Concern about weight
- Divided attention between roles of parent and worker
How do gender stereotypes affect health behaviours?
- Social constructs of masculinity and femininity affect it
- Men are more likely to adopt risky behaviours
- Women are more likely to engage in health-protective behaviours
What is the biological justification for the social constructs of masculinity and femininity?
Neurosexism
- Assumption that differences between males and females from brain development
- Socialisation (culture and environment) not responsible
Explain the role of sex hormones in the justification of neurosexism
- Sex hormones early in brain development shape a person’s ability
- High levels of fetal testosterone inhibit the physical growth of the left hemisphere, making it smaller than the right hemisphere
- However, meta-analyses do not always support these effects
Explain how the corpus callosum is used to justify neurosexism
- The corpus callosum has been observed to be larger in females compared to males
- Differences in corpus callosum size may be explained by the total size of the brain, rather than biological sex
- Individuals with smaller-sized brains have larger corpus callosum compared to individuals with larger brains, regardless of sex
Define stereotype threat
Fear of confirming to negative stereotype about group
How does stereotype threat affect health?
- Heightened cardiovascular reactivity
- Disengagement and anxiety