social economic factors affecting health

Social and economic factors can influence and impact on an individual’s state of health vastly. Each aspect effects an individual in various different ways producing negative and positive outcomes, more commonly referred to as health detriments (Brooker and Waugh, 2007). Health detriments are described as being varied, multiple and interlinked, Dahlgren and Whitehead (1991) further expanded that the health detriments are considered to be on a five level multifactorial model. The model illustrates health detriments around an individual’s core factors, individual lifestyle factors can be influenced by family and other social networks, whereas socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions are influenced and controlled by a collection of people such as government or an organisation. Overall, each detriment impacts an individual’s life, an uneven balance of these detriments can create inequalities and lesser opportunities. Socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions which are prevalent in modern day society include unemployment rates, stability within the political system and interest rates. Brooker and Waugh, (2007) highlight that the access to health and social services is a key determinant of health. Adler and Ostrove, (2006) and Brooker and Waugh, (2007) list poverty as one of the main detriments of health and explain how health differences between countries - this is more associated with absolute poverty which is meeting basic human needs and population groups within a society – this is associated with relative poverty which relates to living standards . Differences within health reflect much on social standing, which translates to access to resources, education, employment, housing and participation in modern day society.
Individuals which require the aid of health professionals are referred to as service users, these individuals are the principal reason why support systems and public services exist today. Service users aim to live a more

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