Sociological factors contribute to illness

Question 1

What factors influence health and illness

Answer 1

1. Biological Factors
2. Personal Lifestyle
3. Physical and Social environment
4. Health Services

Question 2

What was the black report of 1980

Answer 2

Used to confirm social class health inequalities in overall mortality (and for most causes of death) + that health inequalities were widening

Question 3

What four mechanisms did the black report 1980 come up with to explain widening socio-economic health inequalities

Answer 3

1. Artefact
2. Social Selection
3. Behaviour
4. Material Circumstances

Question 4

What was the role of the Whitehall Study of British Civil Servants cohort study

Answer 4

Followed british civil servants

Collected information on risk factors: weight, cholesterol, smoking and blood pressure

Question 5

What was the outcome of the whitehall study

Answer 5

There are inequalities in health and mortality between employment

Risk factors only explained one-third of the observed variation in health by employment grade

Question 6

What is the Acheson Report of 1988

Answer 6

Showed that mortality decreased in the past 50 years but inequalities in health remained and widened in some cases

Question 7

What did the Acheson Report evaluate

Answer 7

All policies likely to affect health in terms of their impact on inequalities

Give high priority to health of families with children

Government should reduce income inequalities and improve living conditions in poor households

Question 8

What are the three theories of causation

Answer 8

• Neomaterialist
• Psychosocial
• Life course

Question 9

What are the three aspects of life course

Answer 9

Critical Period - Have greater impact at certain points in life course (childhood)
Accumulation - Hazards and their impacts add up (injuries at work)
Interactions and Pathways - Sexual abuse leads to poor partner choice leads to increased violence leads to increased alcohol use

Question 10

Where did net-materialist originate from

Answer 10

The black report

Question 11

What is the neomaterialist theory of causation

Answer 11

Theory that the quality of the material and things a person possesses can effect the quality of life.

Further Explanation: Combination of negative exposures and lack of resources half by individuals across a wide range of human, cultural and political-economic processes

Question 12

What is the psychosocial theory of causation

Answer 12

Our sense of self-worth

Question 13

What three things can doctors do to close the gap of social determinants of health

Answer 13

1. Changing perspectives
2. Changing Systems
3. Changing Education