U3AOS2 - Health Status Variations Flashcards
biological variations
- body weight
- blood pressure
- blood cholesterol
- glucose regulation
- birth weight
- genetics
body weight
high body mass includes overweight and obesity; increases the chances of developing:
- high blood pressure
- impaired glucose regulation
- cardiovascular disease
- cancers
- respiratory problems
- type 2 diabetes
- self esteem issues
- depression
- social exclusion
blood pressure
blood pressure is a measure of the pressure applied to the blood vessels as the heart contracts and expands
- high blood pressure = hypertension
hypertension
this means the heart and the kidneys need to work harder and the blood vessels may be restricted
- risk factors for hypertension are high BMI, lack of physical activity, stress, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, genetic predisposition and poor diet
blood cholesterol
cholesterol is a type of fat, too much LDL cholesterol is a risk factor for CVD, heart attack and stroke
- the incidence increases with age
high blood cholesterol - risk factors
excessive alcohol intake smoking a diet high in sat or trans fats lack of exercise genetic predisposition
glucose regulation
glucose is the preferred fuel for energy within cells // when blood glucose levels rice, insulin is released from the pancreas to allow glucose to travel from the bloodstream into cells to be used as energy
impaired glucose regulation (6 / 6)
a precursor to type 2 diabetes, CVD, heart attack, strokes, premature death and kidney failure. It can occur due to :
- genetic predisposition
- stress
- pregnancy
- lack of exercise
- high LDL cholesterol
- high blood pressure
birth weight
babies with low birth weight (under 2.5kg) are more likely to have a underdeveloped immune system , you are more likely to suffer from premature death and significant disabilities
- research also shows that they are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and CVD as an adult
causes of low birth weight
- premature birth (less time to grow and develop)
- age of the mother (younger mothers [<15] and older mothers [45+] have higher rates of low birth weight babies)
- mothers nutritional status (inadequate supply of nutrients can contribute to underdevelopment of the factors)
- smoking, excessive alcohol use and drug use by the mother reduces foetal growth
- illness of the mother during pregnancy (infections can cause early labour or slowed growth)
genetics
sex –> makes conditions exclusive and biological differences can occur
hormones –> males have different hormones which could contribute to some health differences
hormone differences
oestrogen –> helps maintain bone density in women, when a women enters menopause their levels of oestrogen decline and this leads to a loss of bone mass
testosterone –> mainly responsible for male sex characteristics inc. risk taking and aggression
sociocultural variations
- socioeconomic status
- education
- unemployed
- social connections and social exclusion
- social isolation
- cultural norms
- food security
- early life experiences
- access to healthcare
socioeconomic status
refers to the person’s position in society relative to other people
- this is made up of income, occupation and education
income
can influence people’s ability to access resources, the resources promote a healthy body weight, prevent disease, staying socially connected and accessing healthcare
occupation
some occupations involve manual labour increasing the risk of back pain and soft tissue injuries / people with lower SES are more likely to experience occupational hazards
education
health literacy describes the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions
- this can relate to healthy lifestyle choices which can prevent health conditions
low levels of health literacy
- less likely to take notice of health promotion materials; this increases the risk of preventable diseases
- more likely to smoke and be obese due to poor nutrition
unemployment
there is a link between unemployment and health status
- rates of suicide, lung cancer and CVD are higher for the unemployed
- long term impacts of unemployment can be serious due to psychological an financial factors
- effect on health status can begin even when people are working, employees may be concerned about their job security
- this has a two way effect (ill health can cause unemployment, unemployment can cause ill health)
social exclusion
- the opposite of social connectedness is social exclusion; this includes feelings of disconnect and they don’t get opportunities to make use of the resources available to them in society // in the past these people have been caused social outcasts
- the causes of social exclusion also result in further social exclusion
social exclusion effects
increased risk taking poor physical and mental health disability inability to access services family breakdown homelessness discrimination low income
social isolation
not being in regular contact with others
- geographical barriers can prevent people from being able to interact with others (rural areas)
- disability, disease, lack of transport and communication can prevent people from socialising
- people who are isolated often lack support to improve their health status
- this can contribute to mental health problems such as depression and stress
cultural norms
cultural norms relate to customs, ideas, cultures and traditions of particular society norms which impact health status including gender stereotypes, food intake, attitudes and beliefs
- gender stereotype relate to the behaviours which are culturally acceptable for males and females
- dietary intake of cultural groups influences the sorts of foods people have over time
- attitudes towards education, employment and recreation (inc. alcohol use), health and healthcare are also part of cultural norms
- medications which are accepted can also differ for different cultures
food security
the quality, affordability and availability of food affects what people eat
- food insecurity (a shortage of available products) can lead to deficiency diseases and other health complications
- too much food availability can contribute to people eating too much and putting themselves at risk of type 2 diabetes and CVD
- environment, income and nutritional knowledge all has an effect on people
- people with low SES may not be able to afford healthy food
early life experiences
past experiences can help to shape an individual, their outlooks on life and the business they engage in their lives
- behaviours while pregnant can contribute to the health outcomes of the baby – maternal tobacco, alcohol, drug use, maternal nutrition and exposure to certain chemicals, bacteria and viruses can have significant impacts on the individual after birth
maternal tobacco, alcohol, drug use, maternal nutrition impacts
low birth weight
increased risk of infections
higher U5MR
access to healthcare
healthcare refers to the services that promote and preserve health and wellbeing
- people in a different geographical areas may have access to different levels of services
- sociocultural factors can contribute to conditions getting undiagnosed
- low SES can also contribute to affordability being an issue
environmental factors
housing
work environment
urban design and infrastructure
climate and climate change
housing
people spend more time in their houses than any other environment
- ventilation
- overcrowding
- sleeping conditions
- security
- pollutants
- resources conducive to eating a nutritionally good diet
- access to water and sanitation facilities
ventilation
poor ventilation can lead to respiratory conditions
overcrowding
can lead to mental health issues // employment and education can also be impacted
sleeping conditions
noise and overcrowding can impact on sleep
security
lack can provide fear and high levels of stress and anxiety
pollutants
can lead to respiratory conditions
resources conducive to eating a nutritionally good diet
promotes healthy eating
access to water and sanitation facilities
decreases infections, essential to remove human waste from the environment