Health is the absence of disease or illness and is the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. (WHO, ND) Epidemiology is the study in measuring health and illness by using mortality rates (the number of deaths of individuals), infant mortality rates (the number of deaths among children under 1 per 1000 live births), morbidity rates (the ill health status of an individual or population group) and finally, life expectancy (the number of years of life remaining to a person at a given age). (PDHPE, 2017) This data can be collected locally, nationally or worldwide from death certificates and birth registrations. (Health Knowledge, ND)
There are two views on health and illness; biological and sociological. The biological view on …show more content…
(NICE, 2012) Social class is one of the main factors for health inequality. Social class is based around occupation, income, education and housing and is presented by a socio-economic scale which ranges from class 1 (Lawyers and Doctors) to Class 8 (Long-term unemployed). (Matthews, 2015) The Black Report (1980) was the first study to investigate inequalities of health within the UK where it concluded that one’s health was a result of their social class and the lower one is placed on the socio-economic scale their chance of ill-health increases. The Black Report suggested four possible explanations for this correlation. Firstly, the artefact explanation which suggests that health differences are a result of the way the data is collected. Data collected on health is normally focused on Individuals in the lowest social class which tend to be made up of old people and those on minimum wage, therefore data collected can be bias. (McDermott, 2017) Secondly, the social selection explanation, which suggests that health determines one’s social class. Individuals are more likely to be employed if they are healthy, therefore moving up the social scale. Furthermore, individuals who are unhealthy are more likely to be unemployed and therefore move down the social scale. This explanation is supported by Wadsworth (1995) whom suggested that boys who have experienced a childhood illness, become downwardly mobile by the age of 26 therefore would move down the social scale. However, Townsend and Davison (1990) stated that only a few individuals experience downward occupational changes when they are sick, furthermore Wilkinson (1997) stated that poor health impacts social mobility but this does not account for the overall health differences as the effect is too small. (Instruct, ND) Thirdly, the cultural and behavioural explanation, which suggests that differences in
There are two views on health and illness; biological and sociological. The biological view on …show more content…
(NICE, 2012) Social class is one of the main factors for health inequality. Social class is based around occupation, income, education and housing and is presented by a socio-economic scale which ranges from class 1 (Lawyers and Doctors) to Class 8 (Long-term unemployed). (Matthews, 2015) The Black Report (1980) was the first study to investigate inequalities of health within the UK where it concluded that one’s health was a result of their social class and the lower one is placed on the socio-economic scale their chance of ill-health increases. The Black Report suggested four possible explanations for this correlation. Firstly, the artefact explanation which suggests that health differences are a result of the way the data is collected. Data collected on health is normally focused on Individuals in the lowest social class which tend to be made up of old people and those on minimum wage, therefore data collected can be bias. (McDermott, 2017) Secondly, the social selection explanation, which suggests that health determines one’s social class. Individuals are more likely to be employed if they are healthy, therefore moving up the social scale. Furthermore, individuals who are unhealthy are more likely to be unemployed and therefore move down the social scale. This explanation is supported by Wadsworth (1995) whom suggested that boys who have experienced a childhood illness, become downwardly mobile by the age of 26 therefore would move down the social scale. However, Townsend and Davison (1990) stated that only a few individuals experience downward occupational changes when they are sick, furthermore Wilkinson (1997) stated that poor health impacts social mobility but this does not account for the overall health differences as the effect is too small. (Instruct, ND) Thirdly, the cultural and behavioural explanation, which suggests that differences in