Social determinants of health: a comparative approach

Contents......Page 5
Preface......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 12
 How We Understand Threats to Our Health......Page 13
 A New Perspective on Our Health: Rise of an Alternative View......Page 18
 Health Inequalities......Page 20
 The Basis of Health Inequalities......Page 21
 What Lies Ahead......Page 25
 Objectives......Page 27
 Levels of Analysis......Page 28
 Individual-Level Analysis of Health and Disease......Page 30
 Origins of Population Health......Page 39
 Some Notes on Terms......Page 48
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 50
 Summary......Page 51
 Annotated Websites......Page 53
 Objectives......Page 54
 The Emergence of the Field “Social Epidemiology”......Page 55
 Geoffrey Rose and the Population-Health Perspective......Page 57
 The Impact of Recent Studies on Thinking about Health......Page 64
 The Gradient in Health......Page 69
 The Building Blocks of Theory......Page 71
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 73
 Summary......Page 74
 Annotated Suggested Readings......Page 75
 Annotated Websites......Page 76
3  Income, Inequality, and Health......Page 77
 The Gradient in Health......Page 78
 The Inequality Hypothesis: Preston, Rodgers, Kaplan, and Wilkinson......Page 80
 The Inequality Hypothesis Under Assault......Page 87
 What Are We to Make of the Literature on Inequality and Health?......Page 90
 The Importance of Keeping Materialist Arguments Separate from Ones about Hierarchy and Control......Page 92
 Income and Income Distribution......Page 93
 Public Programs and Services......Page 96
 Poverty and Its Mitigation......Page 98
 Lower Taxes or More Public Spending?......Page 102
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 104
 Summary......Page 105
 Annotated Websites......Page 107
 Objectives......Page 108
 Early Childhood......Page 109
 Animal Studies......Page 119
 Contributions from Psychology......Page 120
 Early Childhood Policy......Page 121
 A Note on the Public School System......Page 127
 Older Children and Teens......Page 128
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 133
 Summary......Page 134
 Critical Thinking Questions......Page 135
 Annotated Websites......Page 136
 Objectives......Page 137
 Social Norms, Predictability, and Human Health......Page 138
 Social Networks......Page 139
 Social Support and Health......Page 144
 Social Cohesion......Page 147
 Social Capital......Page 148
 Social Exclusion......Page 151
 Summary......Page 154
 Annotated Suggested Readings......Page 155
 Annotated Websites......Page 156
 Objectives......Page 157
 Who Are the Aboriginal Peoples?......Page 158
 The Health of Aboriginal Peoples......Page 160
 Understanding the Determinants of Aboriginal Health......Page 165
 A Story of Dramatic Improvement......Page 169
 Summary......Page 170
 Annotated Suggested Readings......Page 171
 Annotated Websites......Page 172
 Objectives......Page 173
 The Health of Women and Men......Page 174
 The Effects of Marriage on Health......Page 180
 Distress Among Women......Page 181
 Gender Equity......Page 182
 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People......Page 183
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 188
 Summary......Page 189
 Annotated Suggested Readings......Page 190
 Annotated Websites......Page 191
 Objectives......Page 192
 The Centrality of Employment to Adult Health......Page 193
 Health and Jobs......Page 194
 Unemployment and Health......Page 195
 Changes in the Nature of Employment......Page 197
 Working Conditions and Health......Page 199
 Policies Affecting Employment, Earnings, Job Benefits, and Working Conditions......Page 202
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 211
 Summary......Page 212
 Annotated Websites......Page 213
 Objectives......Page 215
 Homes and Health......Page 216
 Neighbourhood and Health......Page 219
 Urban Design, the Built Environment, and Physical Activity......Page 222
 Housing Policy and Health......Page 224
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 225
 Critical Thinking Questions......Page 226
 Annotated Websites......Page 227
 Objectives......Page 228
 Diet and the Health of Populations......Page 229
 What Is a Healthy Diet? Canada’s Food Guide......Page 230
 The Relative Cost of Healthy Foods......Page 232
 Obesity......Page 234
 Diet and Health......Page 239
 Policies and Programs......Page 241
 Summary......Page 244
 Annotated Suggested Readings......Page 246
 Annotated Websites......Page 247
 Objectives......Page 248
 Human Behaviour and Its Context......Page 249
 Healthy Lifestyles......Page 259
 Theoretical Considerations......Page 262
 Summary......Page 264
 Annotated Suggested Readings......Page 265
 Annotated Websites......Page 266
 Objectives......Page 267
 Models of Health......Page 268
 Globalization and Human Health......Page 272
 Population Health and Politics......Page 277
 Annotated Websites......Page 278
Glossary......Page 280
References......Page 286
Index......Page 301