Chapter12.md

Chapter 12: Health and Illness - Key Insights

A. Medical Sociology

• Emerged post-Second World War
• One of the largest groups of sociologists worldwide
• Developed as an applied field

B. Patterns of Health and Illness

Historical Health Patterns

1. Premodern Era

   • Life expectancy: 20-30 years
   • Highest mortality among infants and children

2. Middle Ages

   • Infectious epidemics (e.g., bubonic plague)
   • Increased population with poor sanitation
   • Disease spread through transportation

3. 1800s

   • Life expectancy increased to 40 years
   • Improved nutrition through agriculture
   • Persistent infectious epidemics (smallpox, influenza)

4. Early 20th Century

   • Rising life expectancy
   • Declining infant mortality
   • Improvements in sanitation and food security
   • Advances in public health and medicine

5. Present Time

   • Life expectancy 65+ years
   • Shift from infectious to degenerative diseases
   • Many infectious diseases eradicated or reduced
   • Emergence of new diseases linked to social forces

Contemporary Health Variations

• Top 10 causes of death vary by sex and age
• By Sex:
  • Women: Cancer, heart disease, stroke
  • Men: Cancer, heart disease, accidents
• By Age:
  • Degenerative diseases increase with age
  • Ages 1-44: Accidents, suicide

C. Personal Determinants of Health

Actual Top Causes of Death

1. Tobacco use
2. Alcohol misuse
3. Diet and activity patterns

Tobacco Use

• Leading cause of preventable death globally
• Increasing in low- and middle-income countries
• Decreasing in high-income countries

Alcohol Use

• Responsible for 3.3 million deaths annually
• Higher consumption in high-income countries
• Disproportionate harm in lower-income nations

Diet and Physical Activity

• Poor eating habits and lack of exercise
• Obesity and malnutrition coexist in many countries

Physical Activity in Canada

• Guidelines:
  • Adults: 150 minutes per week
  • Children: 60 minutes per day
• Actual participation:
  • Adults: 15% meet guidelines
  • Children: 7% meet guidelines

Overweight Statistics (Canada)

• 67% of men
• 54% of women
• Disease risk increases progressively from BMI of 21

D. Social Inequality as a Fundamental Cause

• Social determinants affect health beyond personal behaviors
• Key factors: Socioeconomic status and ethnic inequality

Socioeconomic Status Impact

• Affects access to material resources
• Influences mental health
• Intertwined with ethnic inequality

Ethnic Inequality

• Indigenous populations disproportionately affected
• Influenced by:
  • Colonization
  • Reserve conditions
  • Food insecurity

E. Health Care System

Medicare Principles

• Universality
• Portability
• Comprehensive coverage
• Accessibility

Challenges

• Physician-to-population ratio
• Out-of-pocket medical costs
• Long wait times
• Rising healthcare costs

Healthcare Spending Components

1. Hospitals
2. Drugs
3. Physicians' services

Aging Population

• Median age in Canada:
  • 1956: 27.2 years
  • 2012: 40 years
• Increased chronic health conditions
• More medical care needed for 65+ age group

F. Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Illness

Functionalist View (Parsons, 1951)

• Sick role components:
  1. Temporary exemption from social roles
  2. Not responsible for the condition
  3. Obligation to try to get well
  4. Seek competent medical help

Interactionist View

• Focus on cultural meanings of health and illness
• Considers relationships, beliefs, and experiences
• Examines how illness impacts sense of self

Conflict View

• Emphasizes power and inequality
• Critiques profit motives in healthcare
• Views health as a commodity

This comprehensive overview captures the key insights from the chapter on health and illness from a sociological perspective.