Health

Impact of Socio Economic Influences on Health 200

Introduction

Social and economic factors like education, income and social connectedness tend to have a direct impact on health. These factors interact with each other in order to influence the health of the society. In fact, due to the interconnectedness any improvement in one of them would lead to an overall improvement of health behaviours amongst individuals. The interconnection can be explained by the following examples. People having low income do not have access to nutritious food, proper housing facilities, education or safe working conditions. These have a negative impact on the health of such individuals. Financial crisis exposes them to high blood pressure and complications of the circulatory and immune system. On the contrary, individuals with better income are not affected by health outcomes which result from dearth of material needs. The health of such individuals is affected by the demands which they are responsible to fulfil both at work and home. The extent of control and decision making power which such individuals exercise in such settings plays a significant role in determining their health outcomes.

Similarly societal structure also influences health based on distribution of public resources and goods. The distribution ratio impacts health of the society. People who live in disadvantageous conditions encounter health issues more than those who live with social support and are well connected with culture.

From the above discussion we can conclude that social and economic factors have a bearing on the health of population.

Since the nineteenth century it has been observed that difference in social class has impacted the health of British population. Black Report’s explanation of health inequalities is one of the most authentic contributions to the said debate. This report has identified four reasons behind social class difference in terms of health and has emphasised on the materialistic factor the most. The explanation provided by the Black Report is considered to be both fruitful and useful. It indicates the gap in the existing knowledge and put forth questions for future research. It is useful as it clarifies attempts for understanding the reasons behind class difference in health.

Archeson Report

This Report sought to examine the steps taken by Government to tackle health inequalities. Scholars have considered this Report to