Health sociology

1. DETERMINANTS OF
HEALTH & ILLNESS

2.  Many factors combine together to affect the health of individuals and
communities. Whether people are healthy or not, is determined by their
circumstances and environment.
 To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our
environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our
relationships with friends and family all have considerable impacts on
health.
 These include:
 Physical factors
 Chemical factors
 Genetic factors
 Social factors
 Individual characteristics and behaviours.

3. Physical Factors Examples of physical determinants are:
Natural environment, such as plants, weather, or climate change Built
environment, such as buildings or transportation
Worksites, schools, and recreational settings
Housing, homes, and neighborhoods
Exposure to physical hazards
Physical barriers, especially for people with disabilities
Aesthetic elements, such as good lighting, trees, or benches
Exposures to contaminants in air, water, food and soil, are associated with many
chronic diseases and with emerging communicable diseases.
Climate change and the associated weather extremes will also affect health:
hyperthermia from extreme heat, injury from extreme wind and rain.
Changing distribution of vectors and infectious agents- introducing disease to
previously unaffected regions.

4. Chemical Factors
Air pollutants can also cause climate change which will affect communities
differently. People in urban centres do not enjoy good air quality. Indoor air
may contain constituents such as asbestos, moulds, radon gas, carbon monoxide
and methane that affect health.
E.g. in counties where ozone pollution is high, there is often a higher prevalence
of asthma in both adults and children compared with state and national averages.
Poor air quality can worsen asthma symptoms, especially in children.
 ‘The sick building syndrome’ describes a range of ailments related to living or
working in closed buildings with poor air quality.
Another threat to healthy indoor air quality is tobacco smoke, especially for
children living in the homes of smokers. These children experience more asthma
and bronchitis; they are at a higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome and
have more lung and ear infections than children living in homes without tobacco
smoke.

5. Social Factors
Examples of social factors include:
Availability of resources to meet daily needs, such as educational and job
opportunities, living wages, or healthful foods
Social norms and attitudes, such as discrimination
Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder
Social support and social interactions
Exposure to mass media & emerging technologies, such as Internet or cell phones
Socioeconomic conditions, such as concentrated poverty
Quality schools
Transportation options
Public safety, Residential segregation
Culture - customs and traditions Access to health services

6. Absolute poverty refers to having inadequate resources to meet basic needs for shelter, nutritious food, clothing,
and education. People living in poverty lack the resources and opportunities to make choices that promote good
health. Being poor may also expose them to inferior physical environments that place them at risk for health
problems. Absolute poverty is the leading health determinant in low- income countries; infants and children are
particularly susceptible to its effects.
Education Low education levels are linked with poor health, more stress and lower self-confidence. Education also
has a more direct influence on health in that it affects a person’s ability to navigate the health care system, to interpret
health information and to communicate effectively with health professionals. ‘Health literacy’ refers to the patient’s
ability to understand health information and to follow guidelines for their treatment.
Employment:Employed people are healthier, particularly those who have more control over their working
conditions. The WHO recognizes fair employment and decent work as a cornerstone of health, and advocates for fair
minimum wages, full employment, and occupational health and safety standards. Work-related diseases, caused or
exacerbated by the patient’s work, are derived from the amount of a person’s perceived control over demands at work,
their work satisfaction, perceived levels of physical risk, and job security.
Social Support Network This refers to support from families, friends and communities. It is linked to better
health. It is a source of emotional reassurance and provides a safe place for a person to discuss his problems, which
helps him to cope with adversity. It provides information and practical support, such as knowing someone who can
assist in a time of need. It can also support people in making healthier behaviour choices.

7. Health Services
Access and use of services that prevent and treat disease influences
health.
Both access to health services and the quality of health services can
impact health.
Lack of access, or limited access, to health services greatly impacts an
individual’s health status. For example, when individuals do not have
health insurance, they are less likely to participate in preventive care and
are more likely to delay medical treatment.
Barriers to accessing health services include: Lack of availability, High
cost, Lack of insurance coverage, Limited language access
These barriers to accessing health services lead to: Unmet health needs,
Delays in receiving appropriate care, Inability to get preventive services,
Hospitalizations that could have been prevented

8. Individual Characteristics and Behaviours.
Individual behavior also plays a role in health outcomes. For example, if an individual quits smoking, his or her
risk of developing heart disease is greatly reduced. Examples of individual behavior determinants of health
include: Diet,Physical activity, Alcohol, cigarette, and other drug use ,Hand washing
 Biological and Genetic Makeup
Inheritance plays a part in determining lifespan, healthiness and the likelihood of developing certain illnesses,
personal behaviour and coping skills.
Some biological and genetic factors affect specific populations more than others. E.g., older adults are
biologically prone to poorer health than adolescents due to effects of aging.
Sickle cell disease is a common example of a genetic determinant of health.
 Gender: Gender refers to "the array of socially constructed roles and relationships, personality traits, attitudes,
behaviours, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a differential basis.“
Men and women suffer from different types of diseases at different ages.
Examples include the exploitation of women in the sex trade, underage marriage, or the work conditions in
sweat shops in the garment industry. Single parents are almost always women, the lower income of women also
affects their children.

9. Individual Characteristics contd
– Early Childhood Development: Early nutrition, physical development
and fitness are important, as is emotional development which, if
positive, builds resiliency, and if negative, enhances vulnerability.
Timing of exposures and experiences can be critical. For example,
traumatic experiences in early childhood shape personality and have a
lasting impact on how a person views his world, how he relates to others,
and how he interprets events.
The impact of broken homes, chronic childhood stresses
etc. have non-specific effects, acting mainly to increase
emotional vulnerability in adult life. (STORY OF JANE)