Patterns and Trends in Health and Ill Health within Social Groups

• Begin by understanding what a social group is. These are collective communities distinguished by common characteristics such as age, ethnicity, gender, Social Class and employment status.

• Identify the different types of health and ill health - these can broadly be categorised into physical and mental health conditions.

• Recognize that there are significant variations in health patterns and trends among different social groups.

• Age plays a considerable role in health and ill health patterns. For example, it’s known that certain illnesses, such as osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s, are more common among the elderly population.

• Ethnicity can affect health patterns due to factors like genetics and lifestyle. For example, heart disease is more prevalent among people of South Asian descent, and Sickle Cell Anemia is commonly found in people with an African or Caribbean background.

• Social Class has a profound impact on health. Individuals from lower social classes are at a higher risk of experiencing ill health and have a lower life expectancy compared to those from higher social classes. This can be due to differences in lifestyle, access to quality healthcare, and level of stress experienced, among other factors.

• Gender also contributes to health disparities. For example, men are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease, while women are more prone to autoimmune conditions.

• Employment status can significantly affect health. Those who are unemployed can suffer from mental health issues due to the stress of financial instability. In contrast, overworked individuals may suffer from physical ailments such as hypertension and heart disease.

• Investigate the role societal perception and stereotypes can play in these patterns and trends – for instance, certain mental illnesses may be underreported in masculine communities due to stigma, leading to a norm that men ‘don’t get depressed’.

• Recognize that these patterns and trends in health and ill health can assist in informing policy decisions and funding allocations within health and social care settings.