Population Health and Social Change

How do changing social conditions influence health?

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Lets start where most people start when they think about

health- Biology

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•Genetic Factors

•Sex (But not gender)

•Age

•Individual Morphologies

Biological Determinants of HealthGenetic diseases such as hameophilia and genetic

predispositions to conditions such as heart disease and breast

cancer

Some conditions, such as prostate cancer, ovarian cancer are sex specific. (Gender refers to masculine-feminine and is a social, not biological, category

Many conditions such as heart disease, stroke and dementia, are

linked to ageing

Our individual body make up, height, weight etc, can increase

and decrease health risks.

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• Poverty and Wealth• Age • Gender• Ethnicity • Lifestyle• Education• Political Factors• Culture

Social Determinants of Health

A wide range of social factors have a strong influence on our health status.

Largely through their influence on lifestyle, access to services and the

physical environments that we inhabit. Poorer communities have higher rates

of infant mortality, lower life expectancy and higher rates of morbidity that their wealthier

neighbours.

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• Climate

• Location (e.g. altitude)

• Access to services

• Environmental conditions- toxins, water supply, physical geography.

Environmental Determinants of Health

Climate can influence the incidence and type of infectious disease found in a

population,

Where you live can affect how your body responds to the environment. Living at high altitude can lead to

hypertension. Living in remote areas reduces access to services

Local environmental conditions, lack of water supply, sanitation, toxins,

degraded pastures etc can lead to a variety of health problems.

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Social Change and Health

• Social change occurs over time and includes:

• Demographic

• Cultural

• Social

• Economic

• Environmental

• Political

• Technological

Take a look at the list on the left. Thing about how these factors have changed during your lifetime. What has happened to the population? Has it increased, decreased, aged?

What cultural changes have occurred? How have economic, political or technological changes

influenced how we think and behave?

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Pressure for Change

Social Political

Economic

CHANGE

There is a constant pressure for change, driven by economic,

political and social forces. For example women’s demands for greater equality have influenced how we live, work and interact

with each other.

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