Health Inequalities in the UK

This assignment delves into the complex issue of health inequalities within the United Kingdom. Students are tasked with analyzing various socio-demographic factors contributing to these disparities, such as income, education, and geographical location. The assignment emphasizes the need for evidence-based policies aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving population health outcomes.

Sociological Context

Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................3
Task 1....................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Explain how political, social and economic constructs can be used to categorise society...3
1.2 Current trends in societal change including how these might shape social expectations.....3
1.3 Influence of cultural values and beliefs in society................................................................4
1.4 Implications of societal change for the health and social care sector...................................4
Task 2....................................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Use data to explain inequalities which exist in health and social care..................................5
2.2 analyse social inequalities from a sociological perspective..................................................6
2.3 analyse how inequalities which exist in health and social care can impact on an individual’s
health status and life chances......................................................................................................7
Task 3 ...................................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Sociological concepts and theory to definitions of health and well-being...........................7
3.2 Use data to explain how social and health issues are socially constructed...........................8
3.3 Implications of social and health issues for health and social care service providers.........9
3.4 analyse social and health issues in terms of their impact on the health and well-being of
individuals in society...................................................................................................................9
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................9
References...........................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
A social construct can be defined as a concept based on the collective opinions created and
maintained within social group. Sociological construct plays an important role in the health and
social care as it largely affects health inequality issues in the UK (Hernández-Quevedo and
Weatherly, 2015). The present report features various aspects of categorization of society in the UK
by analysing political, social and economic construct in the region. In addition to this, the study also
presents discussion on the implications of societal changes in the health and social care services of
UK. The report also analyses the impact of inequalities in health and social care on the health status
and life expectancy of individuals in UK.
TASK 1
1.1 Explain how political, social and economic constructs can be used to categorise society
Social stratification can be defined as subdivision of society into hierarchy often
differentiated on the basis of prestige, wealth and power. In other words it can be expressed as the
hierarchical arrangement of individuals in the society. The social structure of UK is highly
influenced by the concept of social class. In the previous time, social status played a vital role in
early modern society in Britain (Gagné, Frohlich and Abel, 2015). However, in the last three
decades, the English society is stratified on the basis of education, income and occupation. The
society is divided into three groups of classes namely Upper class, Middle class and Lower or
working class. Upper class consists of people with inherited wealth and property. The majority of
population in UK belongs to middle class. This class includes professionals, businessmen and shop
owners. Further, the working class includes farmers, factory and mine workers. It has been observed
that economic construct in UK greatly affects the categorization of society. For example: economic
scenario of the region helps in the development of organizations in different sectors which in turn
helps in creation of new jobs for individuals. This addresses financial needs of people which are
very vital to maintain a decent living in the society. Similarly political ideologies significantly
affect categorization of society in the UK. It can be said that upper and middle class people have
better quality of life as compared to lower class individuals in the UK.
1.2 Current trends in societal change including how these might shape social expectations
In order to discuss current trends in societal change in the given scenario, the following
points can be elaborated:
Recent trends related to social changes in the UK draw attention towards interesting facts. It
has been observed in a recent study that UK population is growing continuously. Families are
getting smaller as people prefer less children due to financial constraints. They are dependent on
parents for all basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, etc. They are also dependent
upon parents for emotional support. After attaining puberty, they leave home for either due to higher

studies or for job. In addition to this, after job they get settled through getting married. Once, they
get into a relation then they plan for starting their own families by having kids. After becoming
parents, they are responsible for raising their kids in an appropriate manner. However, they are
required to take care the nutritional and healthcare needs of children. Society expects from new
parents to provide good education and facilities to their children so that they will grow into
educated and healthy adults (Emerson, Hatton,Robertson and Baines, 2015). However, it has been
observed that people who are paid less or are unemployed are incapable of providing a better life to
their children and families. They do not have enough money to afford basic requirements for living
such as food, shelter, healthcare facilities and education. This gives rise to health inequalities in the
society of UK. It has been observed that low paid and poverty struck individuals do not have access
to better health and education and are affected with various diseases such as infectious diseases,
Tuberculosis, infections, sexually transmitted diseases, drug and alcohol misuse. The prevalence of
these ailments reduces life expectancy among individuals.
1.3 Influence of cultural values and beliefs in society
Cultural values and beliefs play very important role in society. Cultural values can be
defined as core principles and ideas upon which a society and community exist. Cultural values of a
region greatly impact the construction of societal norms. For example: Children are expected to
follow their family traditions and culture (United Kingdom, 2016). Premarital sex is not accepted by
families with traditional values as it is believed that it give rise to issues like teenage pregnancy,
single motherhood and unmarried cohabitation. However young adults who do not follow their
parents advice enter into arguments and leave home. This causes concerns for homelessness in UK.
1.4 Implications of societal change for the health and social care sector
Societal changes have significantly affected health and social care sector in the UK.
Discriminatory practices in health and social care give rise to health inequalities. These inequalities
arise within different social classes in UK. In order to evaluate various implications of societal
changes, following points can be discussed:
It has been observed that people in higher economic groups are less likely to experience ill
health and chronic diseases. In addition to this, they live longer as compared to individuals at lower
socio economic groups. Several studies indicate that people who are paid less or unemployed face
financial hardships. They do not have access to better food and healthcare resources. It has been
observed that people often become homeless due to various reasons such as disputes from family
members, debt, loss of job, etc. and live in unsafe and filthy places. Thus, it badly affects their
health and well-being. Therefore, it is very important to have sound health and social care policies
that can improve health inequalities in the UK. The legal and regulatory framework in UK includes
several acts such as Equality Act 2010 and Social Value Act. Equality Act 2010 is formulated to

reduce inequalities in health and social care practices of care organizations in UK (Public Health
England, 2015). All healthcare organization in UK are required to follow the act to treat every
service users equally irrespective of their caste, race, social status, income levels, religion, metal or
physical disability, sexual orientation and gender. After enactment of the act, healthcare
organizations need to treat every patient on the grounds of equality. This tends to bring positive
changes in health and well-being by reducing health inequalities in the communities of UK.
TASK 2
2.1 Use data to explain inequalities which exist in health and social care
The latest data from various statistical reports indicate that health inequalities in UK exist
mostly in deprived regions. According to statistical figures from Office for National Statistics show
that teenage conceptions rate is very higher among girls below 18 years of age who live in deprived
regions. In order to explain health inequalities in England following points can be considered: Inequalities due to deprivation: Life expectancy among both men and women is directly
linked with the level of deprivation. From data it can be observed that difference between
life expectancy of males in most and least deprived areas was 8.8 years in 2009. Recent
studies reveals that as the deprivation level increase so as the obesity levels among kids. Inequalities due to socio-economic stratification: The data related to infant mortality rate
in UK clearly indicate gradient in socio-economic class. The rate was higher in infants
whose parents belong to lower social class. The rate was 5 per 1000 live births. However the
rate was observed lowest among babies whose fathers belong to middle class. In this case
the infant mortality rate was 3.2 deaths per 1000 live births in UK. Talking about the family
structures, the mortality rate is very low that is 4.4 deaths per 1000 live births in babies
whose both parents live together. On the contrary, infant mortality rate is higher
approximately 6.2 deaths per 1000 live births among babies of single mothers. Another fact
indicate that approximately 28 percent adults who do manual work are addicted to smoking
as compared to 15 percent of adults who do managerial work (Health Inequalities, 2016). Inequalities by ethnicity: The statistical figures indicate that the the infant mortality rate in
England is also varied by ethnic group. The mortality rate among infants is higher in Asian
and Black ethnic groups as compared to White ethnic groups. The infant mortality rate in
Blacks is 8 deaths per 1000 lives as compared to white ethnic groups mortality rate which is
infant deaths per 1000 lives (Public Health England, 2015). Inequalities by disability: The data reveals that young adults with learning disability are
more likely to remain unemployed as compared to average young people.
 Inequalities by geography: There are social determinants in health in UK that prevail due to

geographical inequalities in the region due to early years of development. Statistical report
indicate that 55 percent of children attended developmental phase at the age of 5 years in the
year 2010 (Vital Statistics: Population and Health Reference Tables, Summer 2015 update,
2016.).
2.2 analyse social inequalities from a sociological perspective
Social inequality can be defined as the existence of unequal opportunities and facilities for
different social positions within a society. In order to analyse social inequalities from a sociological
perspective following points an be discussed. It can be analysed that there are various factors that
give rise to social inequalities.
One of the important dimension of social inequality in UK is income. Economic inequality
in a society occurs when there is a unequal distribution of resources through norms of allocation. In
other words it can be defined on the grounds of unequal distribution of income among individuals in
a society. According to report by Economic Foundation there are numerous determinants of
economic inequality in UK which are broadly categorise into following categories: Starting points: Every individual get a head start by taking birth into family with wealth and
assets. The data of the report reveals that women earn 21 percent less than men. Thus it can
be inferred that male members of the English society are well paid as compared to their
female counterparts. In addition to this , another data indicate that people from other ethnic
groups earn less than 13-21 percent as compared to individuals who belong to white ethnic
group. Thus it can be inferred that white males in Britain are economically more privileged
as compared to females and individuals of other ethnic groups (Health Inequalities, 2016). Global influences: Globalization is another vital driver of inequality in many parts of the
world including UK. Economic inequality prevails due to difference in wages of skilled and
unskilled workers in the region. Early life opportunities: It has been analysed that children who are born in families with
wealth are more privileged to receive better education and other life opportunities as
compared to kids who are born to deprived families. It has been observed that Britain has
very poor social mobility which indicate that people who are born in poor families are likely
to remain disadvantaged. National economy: The make-up of UK's economy also gave rise to inequalities as various
sectors of the businesses required professionally qualified individuals. This gave rise to
income inequalities among individuals.
 Taxation policies: Tax policies of UK also determine the level of income inequalities among
various members of the society. A progressive tax system in a region helps in equal
distribution of wealth in the economy.

2.3 analyse how inequalities which exist in health and social care can impact on an individual’s
health status and life chances
The existence of inequalities significantly impact the individuals health status and life
expectancy. It can be analysed that health is linked to both qualitative and quantitative facets of
material and social change. It can be observed that social environments that are more supportive of
developing skills, abilities and self confidence are more likely to improve the health and well-being
of individuals in a society. Several studies indicate that there is a strong link between positions in
socio-economic hierarchies and mortality rate. It has been observed that socio-economic hierarchies
is generally defined by household income, education and occupational grade. Individuals who
belong to higher socio-economic status in both industrialized and less industrialized countries have
higher life expectancy and lower rate of deadly diseases as compared to their less favoured
counterparts. From various research it can be analysed that high degree of socio-economic
inequality immensely affect the health of individuals in a more complex manner. According to
WHO report on “Social inequalities in environment and health”states that socio-economic
inequalities associated with income, education, employment and demographic factors such as age,
gender, etc. put individuals at greater environmental risk factors (The determinants of health, 2016).
According to the report those people who live in deprived areas are negatively impacted by
environmental determinants. It has been observed that majority of these factors live in filthy and
unhygienic conditions without proper heating and sanitation amenities. Living in such unhygienic
conditions give rise to various infectious diseases which negatively affect the physical well-being of
individuals. Apart from this social inequalities also affect the health related behaviour of individuals
such as alcohol and drug misuse, smoking, etc. which is prominently seen among deprived classes
of the society.
TASK 3
3.1 Sociological concepts and theory to definitions of health and well-being
The definition of health states that health is a multidimensional concept. The three key
dimensions of health of an individual refer to health, medicine and healthcare. According to WHO
definition Health can be defined as “ a state of complete physical, metal and social well-being” (The
determinants of health, 2016). Medicine can be elaborated as a social setting that play important
role in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of treatment of ailment as well as promotion of health
and well-being among individuals. The third dimension is healthcare which can be referred to the
provision of medical and care services to diagnose, prevent and treat physical and mental health
issues. There are various approaches which are used by explain the sociological perspectives of
health. These are featured in the following table.

Table 1: Theoritial approaches and their explaination
Theoretical Approaches Explanation
Functionalism  This approach emphasizes that good health ad better medical
care play very cardinal role in smooth functioning of society.
 The approach assumes that patients are expected to perform
sick role to be perceived as legitimately ill.
 A patient and physician role is hierarchical which means sick
people are obligated to follow physicians instructions in order
to overcome their illness.
Symbolic Interactionist  This approach shows that health and illness are social
constructions.
 It is assumed that physical and mental health conditions have
no real objective but are considered as healthy or ill state if
defined by society.
 Physicians manage situations by portraying authority and
knowledge (Bouchard, Albertini, Batista and de Montigny,
2015).
Conflict Approach  This approach entails that social inequality characterizes the
quality of health and healthcare services in a society.
 It states that individuals from deprived social backgrounds are
more likely to experience physical and mental health issues.
In addition to this these people do not have access to effective
healthcare.
 Physicians have tried to portray social issues as medical
problems in order to increase their income.
3.2 Use data to explain how social and health issues are socially constructed
Social construction of health refers to the statistics that include mortality and morbidity rate
of society in UK. There are various social and health issues that prevail in English society. These
are as follows:
 According to information published by Health and Social Care Information Centre in 2010,
20 percent of adults are indulged in smoking in England. The number of deaths from
smoking was recorded to be 79100 among adults of age group 35 years and above (Vital
Statistics: Population and Health Reference Tables, Summer 2015 update, 2016).

 The statistical data published by Office for National Statistics reveals that the number of
live births in UK was 776352 in the year 2014. In addition to this, infant deaths registered
in UK was 3014 in the year 2014.
 Talking about alcohol related health issues, Office for National Statistics has reported 8416
deaths in the year 2013 in UK. In addition to this, nearly 66 percent of deaths in UK in
2013 were among men. The death rate is even higher for both sexes who belong to age
group 60-65 years (Alcohol-related Deaths in the United Kingdom, 2013, 2015).
 Obesity is another major health related issue in UK. According to statistical figures of the
year 2012 indicate that 55 percent of women aged 16 and above and 67 percent of men are
said to be physically active as compared to 19 percent of men and 26 percent women who
were classed as physically inactive (Vital Statistics: Population and Health Reference
Tables, Summer 2015 update, 2016).
3.3 Implications of social and health issues for health and social care service providers
From the above data it can inferred that there are several health and social issues that badly
hit health and well-being of individuals of UK. These include obesity, alcohol misuse, smoking,
mental health problems, etc. Health and social care professionals play very important role in
promoting health and well-being of individuals. However it has been observed that provision of
affordable and good quality healthcare services is seen as a cumbersome challenge due to the
existence of social inequalities. Access to health and care services is very crucial to achieve better
health outcomes in a timely manner (Emerson, Hatton, Robertson and Baines, 2015). Disparities in
access to care services affect individuals and society. There are various potential barriers to
healthcare services that negatively affect the quality of life. These include high cost, lack of
availability and lack of insurance coverage. Health providers in UK have a prime responsibility in
meeting health needs of individuals in order to promote their physical and mental well-being.
3.4 analyse social and health issues in terms of their impact on the health and well-being of
individuals in society.
Health ad well-being of individuals are determined by several factors. The social,
economical, biological and cultural determinant greatly impact physical as well as psychological
health of an individual. Socio-economic status, genetics, age, gender, ethnicity, working
environment strongly affect health and social well-being of communities. It has been observed that
people who belong to low incomes lack access to adequate housing, nutritious food and safe
working conditions (Health and Social Care, 2016).In addition to this, lack of finances and stressful
living conditions add up to the risk of mental anxiety which can negatively affect the psychological
health of individuals. Many heath issues such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular
diseases, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc. emerge from unhealthy lifestyle and stressful

working conditions.
CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, society is categorised on the basis of political, economical, social and cultural
constructs. There are several factors that give rise to health inequalities in various societies. These
include age, gender, socio-economic status and ethnicity that create health inequalities in a region.
In addition to this, the inequalities that exist in health and social care significantly affect the health
status and life expectancy of individuals. There are several approaches that explain definitions of
health ad well-being. Apart from this, social and health issues have numerous implications on the
physical and mental well-being of individuals.

REFERENCES
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