Lesson 1 Introduction

Determinants of Health – A practical approach!

What is yours definition of “socio-economic status”? 

Which could be the effects of low socio-economic status on health?

  • Socio-economic status (SES) refers to a person’s level of education, income and occupation.
  • Low SES usually refers to individuals with low educational achievement and/or low household income.
  • Low SES is an important determinant for access to healthcare, to proper nutrition, to shelter, to work and to other elements that define an individual’s standard of living.
  • Therefore, lower socioeconomic groups are at greater risk of poor health.
  • Unemployed and uninsured people
  • Low-income families
  • (Ex)prisoners
  • Single parent families
  • Children, youth and women
  • Person with disabilities

With low SES at increased risk for physical and mental diosrderschronic diseasehigher mortality and lower life expectancy.

  • focus on the health issues of low socio-economic groups
  • classify the health issues into physical and mental
  • highlight the link between physical and mental disorders
  • provide information about specific group of people (e.g. people with disabilities, single parent families)
  • poverty;
  • unreliable transportation;
  • lack of insurance and prescription coverage;
  • inability to buy services and supplies or to modify diets;
  • substandard housing that may lack refrigeration, privacy, or adequate bath facilities.