ENVI-2536EL Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Coronary Artery Disease, Infant Mortality, Health Equity
Document Summary
The social environment, or social conditions in which people live and work, has a major influence on their health. It includes factors such as living conditions, diet, education, and work. People who are socially disadvantaged tend to have less access to health resources and more ill-health, and to die earlier than people in more privileged social positions. (who) The social environment represents the external conditions under which people engage in social activity within their community. It includes aspects of social opportunity, leisure and recreation, education, access to health services, health status and participation in democratic processes. (atlas of. Health equity = absence of systematic disparities in health (or in the major social determinants of health) between groups with different social advantage/ disadvantage (e. g. wealth, power, prestige). Health selection ill health leads to poverty. Social causation- poverty leads to ill health. Avoid individual level blaming for choice" of unhealthy behaviours. Indirect selection early stages of life are key.