Research Project

Research Project

Introduction

Health and illness have different views and perspectives in different cultures and different economic, social and psychological contexts. There are different effects of different sociological and psychological factors on the health of a human being. There also are certain factors like social class and gender which also affect the illnesses that human beings have, as well as, the frequency of these illnesses. There also are some connections between different social factors and the illnesses that need to be studied and discussed. This research paper will look into the social and psychological factors that affect the health and well being of a person. It will also through light on the effects of such factors on health and illness of a person (Heinrich, 2007). The research paper will also throw light on the relationships between different social classes and illnesses, as well as, the effects of gender on illnesses. The research paper will also try to develop and understand the already developed relationships between different social factors and illnesses. The research paper will also throw light on the links between different political ideologies and social policies.

Discussion

Commonly Accepted Social Determinants of Health

There has not been found a single definition that one can find on the social determinants of health. There are however, many commonalities in the definitions. There also are many non-governmental and governmental organizations which are made to recognize these social factors that have an impact on the health of the individuals. The World Health Organization (WHO), in the year 2003 suggested some determinants of health which were social in nature. These factors included social gradients, stress, social exclusion, social support networks, early childhood development, addiction, healthy transportation and availability of healthy food (Karlsen & Nazroo, 2002). The World Health Organization then made a commission on the social determinants of health which published a report in 2008. There are two broad areas of health that were determinants of health. The first area that the report addressed was the living conditions that the person was living in. The living conditions included a healthy physical environment. It also included fair employment, social protection across the life span of a person, decent work and the access that a person has to health care facilities. The second major area that the report outlined was the distribution of money, power and resources. It included the public financing, the equity in the health programs, resource depletion, political empowerment, healthy working conditions, and a balance of prosperity and power of the nations.

The social factors that affect health are the factors that include the conditions in the environment in which people are born. This also include the environment in which they are brought up, live, work, worship, pray and spend their life in. these factors affect the health and functioning of a person. There are various environmental settings that help in enhancing the quality of life, as well as, that of health. The factors that affect the health of a person include an affordable and safe housing, ...