Social influences on health Flashcards
what are macro-social influences
Large scale social, economic, political and cultural forces that influence the life course of people simultaneously
Name examples of macro-social influences
governmental organisations
historical legacies
organised religion
statistics on poverty
Approximately 70% of world’s population live in low or middle income countries
what does poverty impact on
○ Safe water
○ Sanitation
○ Adequate diet
○ Housing
○ Basic education
what is SES
Measure of wealth, education and status
how is SES related to life expectancy
Higher SES = better health and longer life expectancy
how are social relationships related to positive health outcomes
Community engagement
Trust and safety
explain gender differences in lifespan
- Men die earlier than women, women have poorer health
In less developed countries, men still live longer than women
how does gender differ illness types
Women suffer more non-fatal illnesses and hospitalised more often
what are the gender differences in depression
Women have twice the rate of depression compared to men
what do men have higher rates of
injuries, suicides, homicides and heart disease
how can gender stereotypes influence health
Social constructs of masculinity and femininity can affect health behaviours
men often more likely to engage in risky behaviours
examples of psychosocial differences amongst women
- Childbirth
- Domestic violence
- Sexism
- Concerns about weight
what is neurosexism
Assumption that differences between males and females stem from brain development
what is neurosexism used for
to justify and explain stereotypes
how does race impact health
The health of minority groups is generally poorer than that of the majority of the population
explain impacts of racism in healthcare
Discrimination in the health care system reduces access to the system
why is the role of socialisation important in gender
Brain development affected by social interactions and culture
example of socialisation to contradict neursexism
Male’s spatial skills advantage can be limited by training females with tools and building blocks
explain direct short term consequences of racism
- Activation of HPA axis
- Heightened blood pressure
Excess cortisol release
explain chronic long term consequences
- Blunted stress response
- Changes in HPA responsiveness
Chronic inflammation
behavioural adaptations in response to racism
- Maladaptive coping mechanisms
Alcohol and substance abuse
name sources of stress related to race
- Anticipatory stress and rumination
- Dysregulation of homeostasis
Race is strongly associated with SES
what can devalued social identity lead to
- Physical and psychological stress
- Denial of employment opportunities
Restricted access to services
how does stereotype threat affect health
Fear of conforming to negative stereotypes about groups
Heightened cardiovascular reactivity
how do daily hassles affect stress
Low-levels of stress which are additive e.g. concern about weight, concern about loved ones
what is burnout
Exhaustion and depletion of emotional and physical resources
how might burnout present itself
Pessimism , demonstrating overly negative attitudes
what may self-control failure promote
rewarding behaviours e.g. overeating, alcohol use
