P3 - Explain pattenn and tetndn in htalth and illntnn among diftetnt nocial geoupingn
In this assignment, I will be explaining how health is measured and the diffulues that fan offur. I will also explain
patterns and trends in health and illness among diferent sofial groupings sufh as sofial flass, gender, ethnifit,, age
and lofalit,.
Mtanueing htalth
Stausufal trends in health and illness are taken from these three main sourfes...
1. Govtenmtnt ntatntcnc The Offe of Nauonal Stausufs provides up to date data on a variet, of sofial fare
issues. For example, birth rates, death rates, infant mortalit, rates, suifide rates and also appointments at
GP's surgeries or hospital admissions. These stausufs are ofen grouped b, sofial flass, gender, geographifal
lofauon and age.
2. Chaeitablt oeganinatonn and petnnuet geoupnc There are some fharitable and spefial interest groups that
folleft and publish stausufs on issues of health and illness. For example, Mind and Young Minds. These are
two fhariues whifh support adults and teenagers with mental health issues. Therefore, the, ma, have
stausufs on the trends in mental health.
3. Acadtmic etntaechten and othte authoenc These researfhers are mainl, found in universiues, and the, also
folleft stausufal trends in health and sofial fare.
These trends will be fompared over a period of ume, usuall, a ,ear. Have rates infreased or defreased? Are
mortalit, and morbidit, rates higher in some parts of the fountr, than in others? Is there a diferenfe in mortalit,
and morbidit, between sofial flasses? The stausufs will usuall, be anal,sed b, sex, age, geographifal lofauon or
sofial flass.
Difficulttn in mtanueing htalth
However, there fan someumes be diffulues that ma, arise when measuring health. When referring to staufs and
using them in ,our work, ,ou have to quote the origin of the informauon. Stausufs must be treated with fauuon as
the, fan someumes be biased. Furthermore, offial stausufs ma, someumes be inaffurate. For example, some
people who are ill ma, not alwa,s go to the doftor, or some people who are not reall, ill ma, go to the doftor. Also,
diferent doftors presented with the same s,mptoms ma, fome up with diferent diagnosis, whifh would distort the
stausufs on people with a spefiicf illness. nen orowne provided a useful framework to explain this issue; for people
to be labelled sifk and to be reforded as a health stausuf there are four stages involved...
1. Individuals must realise that the, have a problem.
2. The, must then see their problem as serious enough to see a doftor.
3. The, must then go to the doftor.
4. The doftor must then fonvinfe them that the, have a ph,sifal or mental illness whifh requires treatment.
Offial stausufs are seen as 'the flinifal ifeberg' befause the true levels of illness are mostl, hidden. Also, the
reasons for death ma, not alwa,s be affurate. For example, a person who died on the street in freezing fondiuons
ma, be stated as h,pothermia. However, the real reason of death ma, have been ,ears of malnutriuon, substanfe
abuse, and inadequate or no housing.
Pattenn and tetndn in htalth and illntnn among diftetnt nocial geoupingn
Social clann and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc Individuals in the higher sofial flass are living longer and have
better health than individuals in the lower sofial flass. The olafk eport and The Afheson eport provide
explanauons for the relauonship between ill health and shorter life expeftanf,, and sofial flass. The olafk
eport stated that the diferenfes in health and well-being were afefted b, infome, qualit, of housing, and
the environment in whifh a person lived and worked. The four sofiologifal explanauons were the stausufal
artefaft explanauon, natural or sofial selefuon, fultural or behavioural explanauons, and material or
struftural explanauons.
Gtndte and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc Even though, women have a higher life expeftanf, and infant
mortalit, rate, studies sull show that women have higher levels of illness. The sofial faftors that ma, have
faused this are risk faftors, efonomif inequaliues, and the impaft of the female role parufularl, in the
famil,. isk faftors influde smoking figarettes, drinking or fast driving whifh is usuall, done b, men.
Efonomif inequaliues refer to the faft that women sull earn less than men, on average men earn £1,000
more than women within 3 ,ears of leaving universit,. The female role refers to the faft that women do
most of the housework, whifh fan lead to man, ph,sifal and mental health problems.
Ethnicity and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc It is hard to know whether poor health is due to povert, or
ethnifit,, as man, minorit, groups live in areas or deprivauon with poor housing, polluuon and high
unemplo,ment. Also, it fan be diffult to deicne a person's rafial t,pe, espefiall, with the infrease in mixed
rafe people. However, it has been found that there are more infidents of rifkets in Asian fhildren befause of
a deicfienf, in vitamin ,, most minorit, ethnif groups have a shorter life expeftanf,, and most minorit,
ethnif groups have higher infant mortalit, rates. Also, there are issues of affess to health servifes, and
language and fultural barriers.
Agt and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc Man, people over the reurement are sull ict, health, and able to
fontribute to sofiet,. However, The General Household Surve, found that older people are more likel, to
In this assignment, I will be explaining how health is measured and the diffulues that fan offur. I will also explain
patterns and trends in health and illness among diferent sofial groupings sufh as sofial flass, gender, ethnifit,, age
and lofalit,.
Mtanueing htalth
Stausufal trends in health and illness are taken from these three main sourfes...
1. Govtenmtnt ntatntcnc The Offe of Nauonal Stausufs provides up to date data on a variet, of sofial fare
issues. For example, birth rates, death rates, infant mortalit, rates, suifide rates and also appointments at
GP's surgeries or hospital admissions. These stausufs are ofen grouped b, sofial flass, gender, geographifal
lofauon and age.
2. Chaeitablt oeganinatonn and petnnuet geoupnc There are some fharitable and spefial interest groups that
folleft and publish stausufs on issues of health and illness. For example, Mind and Young Minds. These are
two fhariues whifh support adults and teenagers with mental health issues. Therefore, the, ma, have
stausufs on the trends in mental health.
3. Acadtmic etntaechten and othte authoenc These researfhers are mainl, found in universiues, and the, also
folleft stausufal trends in health and sofial fare.
These trends will be fompared over a period of ume, usuall, a ,ear. Have rates infreased or defreased? Are
mortalit, and morbidit, rates higher in some parts of the fountr, than in others? Is there a diferenfe in mortalit,
and morbidit, between sofial flasses? The stausufs will usuall, be anal,sed b, sex, age, geographifal lofauon or
sofial flass.
Difficulttn in mtanueing htalth
However, there fan someumes be diffulues that ma, arise when measuring health. When referring to staufs and
using them in ,our work, ,ou have to quote the origin of the informauon. Stausufs must be treated with fauuon as
the, fan someumes be biased. Furthermore, offial stausufs ma, someumes be inaffurate. For example, some
people who are ill ma, not alwa,s go to the doftor, or some people who are not reall, ill ma, go to the doftor. Also,
diferent doftors presented with the same s,mptoms ma, fome up with diferent diagnosis, whifh would distort the
stausufs on people with a spefiicf illness. nen orowne provided a useful framework to explain this issue; for people
to be labelled sifk and to be reforded as a health stausuf there are four stages involved...
1. Individuals must realise that the, have a problem.
2. The, must then see their problem as serious enough to see a doftor.
3. The, must then go to the doftor.
4. The doftor must then fonvinfe them that the, have a ph,sifal or mental illness whifh requires treatment.
Offial stausufs are seen as 'the flinifal ifeberg' befause the true levels of illness are mostl, hidden. Also, the
reasons for death ma, not alwa,s be affurate. For example, a person who died on the street in freezing fondiuons
ma, be stated as h,pothermia. However, the real reason of death ma, have been ,ears of malnutriuon, substanfe
abuse, and inadequate or no housing.
Pattenn and tetndn in htalth and illntnn among diftetnt nocial geoupingn
Social clann and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc Individuals in the higher sofial flass are living longer and have
better health than individuals in the lower sofial flass. The olafk eport and The Afheson eport provide
explanauons for the relauonship between ill health and shorter life expeftanf,, and sofial flass. The olafk
eport stated that the diferenfes in health and well-being were afefted b, infome, qualit, of housing, and
the environment in whifh a person lived and worked. The four sofiologifal explanauons were the stausufal
artefaft explanauon, natural or sofial selefuon, fultural or behavioural explanauons, and material or
struftural explanauons.
Gtndte and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc Even though, women have a higher life expeftanf, and infant
mortalit, rate, studies sull show that women have higher levels of illness. The sofial faftors that ma, have
faused this are risk faftors, efonomif inequaliues, and the impaft of the female role parufularl, in the
famil,. isk faftors influde smoking figarettes, drinking or fast driving whifh is usuall, done b, men.
Efonomif inequaliues refer to the faft that women sull earn less than men, on average men earn £1,000
more than women within 3 ,ears of leaving universit,. The female role refers to the faft that women do
most of the housework, whifh fan lead to man, ph,sifal and mental health problems.
Ethnicity and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc It is hard to know whether poor health is due to povert, or
ethnifit,, as man, minorit, groups live in areas or deprivauon with poor housing, polluuon and high
unemplo,ment. Also, it fan be diffult to deicne a person's rafial t,pe, espefiall, with the infrease in mixed
rafe people. However, it has been found that there are more infidents of rifkets in Asian fhildren befause of
a deicfienf, in vitamin ,, most minorit, ethnif groups have a shorter life expeftanf,, and most minorit,
ethnif groups have higher infant mortalit, rates. Also, there are issues of affess to health servifes, and
language and fultural barriers.
Agt and pattenn of htalth and illntnnc Man, people over the reurement are sull ict, health, and able to
fontribute to sofiet,. However, The General Household Surve, found that older people are more likel, to
