P3 M2 D1 Understanding patterns and trends in health and illness

Understanding patterns and trends in health and illness
P3, M2 & (D1) for UNIT 7

Aims & Objectives




To understand how we measure health and ill health (M2)
Begin to understand and research different patterns and trends in health and ill health in various social groupings (P3)

Health Statistics


Health statistics look at the affects of health & health outcomes, such as:- Can you remember what these terms mean?




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Infant mortality rates
Overall mortality rates
Morbidity rates
Disease prevalence
Disease incidence

STATISTICS


Government statistics (Office of National Statistics)
 Publications

include Population
Trends and Health Statistical
Quarterly
 Resources for these statistics include GP appointments, hospital admissions and suicide rates
 These are often analysed by social class, gender, age, ethnicity, geographical location

STATISTICS


Charitable organisations and pressure groups
 Resources

for these statistics include can be found on the internet from Barnardos, Mind,
YoungMinds, Youreable
 Also other media – newspapers sometimes base stories on these statistics STATISTICS


Academic research
 Resources

for these statistics often come from universities, researchers and authors
 These contribute to the evidence and debate on a wide range of health and social care issues

Difficulties in measuring health (M2)


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You need to refer to statistics in your assignment; it is always important to reference the source of your information
Also to consider their motivation
 Are

they collected by a group to gather support
 Therefore, should you look at stats from an opposing view

Difficulties in measuring health (M2)


Also to consider the publisher
 Is

it in a newspaper to satisfy the views an prejudices of their readers?  Does the newspaper support a particular political party?


Statistics must be treated with
CAUTION!

Difficulties in measuring health (M2)


Statistics from official sources may not be accurate
 ill

people may not go to the doctor
 or people may go when not ill


Two doctors presented with similar symptoms may suggest different diagnosis: E.g.

depression, ME or post-viral fatigue syndrome

Ken Browne, 2006 (M2)



Suggested a useful framework
For someone to be labelled ‘sick’ there are 4 stages
 Stage

1: the person must realise they are ill
 Stage 2: the must define it serious enough to go to GP
 Stage 3: they must go to GP
 Stage 4: doctor must recognise a medical or mental illness

(M2) The clinical iceberg
– re-cap
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The ‘clinical iceberg’ refers to the large amount of illnesses that are not known about
Similarly, the reasons for death – as recorded on death certificates – may not be accurate or reflect the
‘real’ cause
 Consider

a ‘street person’ . . .
 What about eating disorders . . .

Your research challenge for today (P3 & M2)



In 5 groups:
Find out about differences in health and ill health in the following social groupings:
 Social

Class
 Gender
 Ethnicity
 Age
 Geographical Location

Questions for your group to think about . . .


Where will you get your statistics from?

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What kinds of statistics would tell us about differences in health or ill health?

The challenge for today


Use the Internet to find as many statistics as you can about health differences for your social group
 Choose

one website that you think is the most useful
 Explain what it is and what it shows about health differences
 Make a note of the website so that you can share it with the rest of the class Further Patterns and Trends


Your statistics on health differences, based on social class, gender, age, ethnicity and location  Make

a note of what it is about
 What conclusion can you come to about health differences?
 Is there anything else you would say about this resource?

Have we achieved our Aim?
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To understand and explain different patterns and trends in health and ill health in various social groupings (P3)

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What are the main trends and patterns we have highlighted today? Gender
 Higher life expectancy
 Higher report of illness for women 1.
2.
3.

The risk factors
Economic inequalities
The impact of the female role

Ethnicity
Evidence for:
 Higher incidence of rickets in children from the Asian subcontinent (deficiency in vitamin
D) – Stretch, 2007
 Shorter life expectancy
 Higher infant mortality rates
Language and cultural barriers in access to health services, fear of racism

Age
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Associated with long-term illnesses More visits to
GPs/hospitals
for check ups

(Lots of voluntary work hours)

Geographical Location
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Tendencies for health in certain parts of Britain

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Regions, towns, cities Outside the UK

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Social Class (D1)
 Higher social classes – higher life expectancy & better health
 ‘The Black Report’ has 4 possible sociological explanations of health in society: 1.
2.
3.

4.

The statistical artefact explanation
Natural or social selection
Cultural or behavioural explanations Material or structural explanation