Social Conditions and Diseases, Reaction Paper Example

Link and Phelan (1995) look at disease risk factors from a controversial point of view. They do not associate risk factors solely with lifestyle and diet but try to find a connection between basic social conditions and risks of diseases.

The study of individual risk factors has extensive literature and research, claim the authors, however, the study of social condition is somewhat neglected. The article is attempting to contextualize health risks and find a link between diseases and social conditions. Examining the stress paradigm as one approach, the study claims that stressful life events are responsible for health risks.

While it is true that there is a connection between social conditions and risks of diseases, the author of the current review does not agree with the indication of the article that these connections are direct. The correlations, in fact, should be considered as non-direct causes. While poor social conditions can result in increased stress levels, low income, they can at a same time, as a result of the social condition create a health risk, such as: lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of knowledge about prevention methods. While the authors talk about “fundamental social causes of disease”, the reader might think that people who have a low socio-economic status are evidently going to be more prone to illnesses. However, revealing the causes of this relationship is just as important as identifying the connection. Indeed, the article summarizes recommendations in the policy implications part of the paper, to determine a framework in health care that would reduce the impact of social status on health outcomes. Supporting people and educating them about their options is the most successful way to reduce risks associated with social status, according to the author, and with this statement, the author of the current study can fully agree.

References

Link, B., Phelan, J. (1995) Social conditions as fundamental causes of disease. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Vol. 35. Extra Issue: Forty Years of Medical Sociology: The State of the Art and Directions for the Future. 80-94