Lalonde Report - - Health care services are not the primary means of improving health, nor can we rely on improved living conditions and conventional
... [Show More] public health measures to enhance health.
- Example: Canadians must become more active individually and collectively in maintaining and enhancing health by adopting healthy lifestyles and protecting air and water quality.
- Two main health objectives: the health care system and promotion of good health.
Health Gradient - As income (and other social determinants such as education or job quality) rises, so does health and life expectancy
Health Inequities - Differences in population health that are avoidable, such as the gap between the health of the richest and the health of the poorest
Neoliberalism - Does not support public health because:
- aligns with conventional view of health that sees health outcomes as a mix of genetics and lifestyle determinants of health
- does not support the strong government action and intervention needed for public health to work
- tax cuts mean that there is not enough government money to fund public health
- it tends to increase the income gap between the riches and poorest
Chronic stress - - Occurs when pressure are relentless and those affected do not have the power or resources to control them
- Results in a prolonged activation of stress pathways, including stress hormones, affecting memory, immune function, heart rate variability, glucose processing, blood pressure, and other bodily functions
- Has the biggest effect on those in high demand/low control jobs
Social determinants of health - - Income and social status
- Social support networks
- Education and literacy
- Employment/working conditions
- Social environment
- Physical environment
- Healthy childhood development
- Gender
The Epp Report - Emphasizes a new vision for health embracing physical, mental, and social well-being which introduces a health promotion framework:
- Challenge 1: to reduce inequities in health between high and low income Canada
- Challenge 2: prevent injury and disease
Friedrich Engels - - Showed that the death rates of poor people in urban centres were much higher than the death rates of poor people in rural centres
- Social and economic change can substantially affect health and longevity and that living/working conditions are the major determinants of human health and well being
- "Health harming behaviour" amongst the working class was a product of the conditions under which people live, not their character flaws or bad choices
Rudolf Virchow - Noticed poor health in Upper Silesia and determined it was due to poor living conditions. He claims medicine cannot help improve health as much as economic, political, and social reform.
Thomas McKeown - Believed that vaccinations made no help to health, but his views have been disregarded.
He thought that deaths from diseases such as TB, measles, etc. fell sharply after 1850 because of changes in social and environmental factors, especially better nutrition, not health care.
Social patterning of behaviour - Refers to the usually unconscious determination of behaviour by contextual factors including the social norms of one's workplace and social position
Healthy lifestyle - - appears to have the greatest positive health effects on those already living in high economic and social circumstances
- appears to have little measurable impact on the health of lower-income people
- is difficult to achieve and maintain for those who live in poverty [Show Less]