| dc.description.abstract | The health of individuals and populations is influenced
by many variables. These include genetics and biology,
but perhaps more important than these are the social determinants
of health. The social, political and economic
circumstances in which people live their lives are critical
in determining how long they live and with what burden
of ill health. These differences are very marked between
countries, for example a 15-year-old boy in Lesotho has
about a 10% chance of living until the age of 60, compared
with a 15-year-old boy in Sweden who has a 91%
chance of living to 60 (Marmot, 2005). The differences
are not, however, limited to those between countries;
within countries, people’s life expectancies vary according
to where they live, their educational opportunities,
what kind of work they do and how much they earn. Study
of the social determinants of health has informed our understanding
of patterns of health and ill health and led to
discussion about the moral implications of these patterns,
and possible actions to reduce disparities (Anand, Peter
& Sen, 2004). | |
