Different parts of UK have different levels of health for instance between 2010-2012 average life expectancy at birth for men in the North West was 77.7 compared to 83.9of men in the South West. (Office for National Statistics, 2014) Additionally different parts of the same city could have different levels of health; between 2011-2013 life expectancy for males in affluent East Dunbartonshire was 80.5 years, which is 7.5 years longer than 73.0 years in Glasgow city. Females in East Dunbartonshire could live to 83.9 years which is 5.4 years longer than the 78.5 years in Glasgow City (The Scottish Government, 2014) Acccording to the Black Report 1980 these life expectancy are a result of class …show more content…
One reason to accept the Black Report is because other reports that followed such as Mamorth, Acheson Report and Public health England t all came to the same conclusion that although life expectancy was improving the poor lagged the rich meaning social class determines a person’s health. The Black Report outlined four theories in an attempt to explain differences in health between different groups. The cultural /behavioural explanation states that lifestyle choices and culture of individuals of groups have effects on health and wellbeing. For instance those from poor social groups tend to adopt an unhealthy lifestyle such as substance abuse, poor diet and not exercising. This approach has been used to blame people by separating behaviour from social class forgetting that peoples behaviours are due to class belonging. Another approach is the social selection theory which means that the least healthy end up at the lowest social classes but conversely the healthiest end up in the higher status positions. However this method. It stipulates that lower classes are there because of ill health and not social class. The drawback of this approach is that it assumes that material surroundings and pay no part in predicting higher future mortality. It also suggests that poor health can lead to unemployment and ignores the fact that unemployment could lead to poor