Social Influences: Social Determinants Of Health

Health is a basic human need and is a ubiquitous human aspiration. Unfortunately health is not equal and there are considerable differences in long term health outcomes between people from differing socioeconomic backgrounds. Health is not only the result of biological or genetic processes; it is also influenced by the economic and social conditions in which people live in. These influences are termed as the social determinants of health and they can influence health either positively or negatively (Siegrist and Marmot, 2006). Social determinants of health are not fixed and include things such as types of housing and environment people live in, the accessibility of education and health services, income level and employment type. These factors can all influence a person’s lifestyle decisions and health. Inequalities produced through social conditions bring about unequal and unjustified health outcomes for different social backgrounds. Health inequalities tend to be measured along a social gradient. Research has shown time and time again that there is a social gradient in health, which runs from the top to the bottom of the socioeconomic spectrum (Moss, 1995).

Education has a positive effect on society by helping to create a more cohesive and healthier society. Research has continuously shown that those with lower educational attainment are more likely experience poorer health and to die at a younger age than those with higher educational attainment (Marmot and Wilkinson, 2006). There are numerous resemblances between the health position of those in lower socioeconomic groups and those with lower educational attainment, which is unsurprising as education has a strong relationship with employment and earnings potential. There is a strong positive relationship between education and health whether measured by mortality, morbidity, health knowledge or behaviours. Lower educational attainment also increases the risk of death from infectious diseases, cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease; as well as increasing the risk of suffering from other illnesses throughout life such as depression, asthma and diabetes (Marmot and Wilkinson, 2006). Furthermore, those with higher education levels are more likely to adopt healthy behaviours such as a good diet and lifestyle, which decreases the risks of being overweight and other diseases. A study of individuals who were obese showed that those how has lower educational attainment were less likely to think they needed to lose weight, or that it would benefit their health to do so (Cummins and Macintyre, 2005). Research has shown that those with higher education are more likely to have a better knowledge of health conditions and greater health management skills. For example, those with higher education are more likely to participate in prevention programmes such as cancer screenings. Education provides knowledge and skills which equips people to use and access information and services to help their health and the health of their