EDUCATION

Inequalities influence children's health? Impact that schools can have in terms of addressing these inequalities and improving children's health

Inequalities influence children's health? Impact that schools can have in terms of addressing these inequalities and improving children's health

Introduction

Equality in health is the absence of differences in health, unjust and avoidable, between population groups defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically. By contrast, inequality in health refers to the various opportunities and health related resources that people have in terms of their social class, sex, territory or ethnicity (Spencer, 2000). This is mainly reflected in poorer health in the socially disadvantaged. Numerous scientific studies show that health inequalities are enormous and in many cases because of excess mortality and morbidity and higher than most of the risk factors known disease. These inequalities almost always increase as health improves faster in more advantaged social classes. It is also important to remember that scientific evidence indicates that health inequalities can be reduced by implementing the interventions in public health policies and social policies (Botting, 1995).

Discussion

In most countries, mortality rates and malnutrition in childhood are decreasing, but there are large inequalities between poor children and those with better socioeconomic conditions among nations and within countries themselves. Health inequalities appear to be widening. Mortality in children under 5 years on average is 6 per 1000 live births in industrialized nations, while it reaches 91 per 1000 live births in developing countries. Furthermore, the reduction in rates of infant mortality under 5 is faster in rich nations and in children with better socioeconomic conditions. The paper analyzes the inequalities in child health and the appropriate approach to be followed by programs to reduce them (Acheson, 1999).

The primary evidence in health inequalities exists mainly because of different socio-economic, educational and cultural status. Health capital is directly related to social inequalities so that there is a social distribution of the disease in terms of morbidity and mortality. It is therefore clear, as we say that health is worse in social groups with low incomes or living in precarious and unhealthy places. The roots of inequality in health can be found in both the working conditions and housing. More broadly, the disparities in lifestyle without neglecting the inequalities of care system utilization. Conversely, health inequalities are because of many other social inequalities, including those facing education, employment, recreation, participation in political life but also to social protection are among the most important (Polnay, 2000).

One hand we have areas which clearly reveal these inequalities. On the other hand, we also know that there are groups who have particular social differences in health that affects them (immigrants, drug addicts, homeless people, etc). And there is a scattered population by socio-economic reasons again or nature affecting their life projects: seniors, young people outside the educational process, separate and destitute women and women in general. This comes into pathways that lead to inequality and social exclusion. If anything insist that today's social inequalities are to be determinants of health both today and tomorrow when the children reach ...