Biosociology of Health

1. Biosociology of Health • Effects of Genes and Environment on Health • Diseases in different parts of the world • Differences across developed countries • Sex differences in death and disease • Race and Ethnic Differences in Death and Disease • Sex differences in mental health • Social Status influences Health • Physical health • Mental Health • Health influences Social Status • Height and social status • Lack of deformity, disability and status • Beauty and status

2. Effects of both genes and environment on health • The diseases you get are a result of your genetic predispositions and the environment you live in. • Social behaviors also have a genetic basis • Some social behaviors influence later health status • E.g. number of sexual partners

3. Diseases in different parts of the world • One important aspect of your environment is whether you live in a rich or a poor country • In poor countries, you are much more likely to die of violent causes and infectious disease

4. In rich countries, you are more likely to die of heart disease and cancer • Variations among rich countries • U.S. does poorly in infant mortality, for example.

6. Sex differences in death and disease • Males are more likely to die, beginning in utero • Death rate for 15-24 year old males is more than twice that of their female counterparts. • Life expectancy is greater for women than men (US Men 75, Women 80).

8. As a result, seniors are disproportionately female • The longest lived person on record was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died at age 122.

9. Sex difference is found throughout the world • Why? • Sex differences in lifestyle and diet • Evolutionary reason – more important for wellbeing of offspring that mothers stay alive

10. Race and ethnic differences • In the U.S. African Americans at every age are more likely to die of almost every cause than whites • Mostly because African Americans are more likely to be poor

11. Sex differences in mental health • Men are more likely to get most kinds of mental diseases, except for depression and anxiety • Men are more likely to abuse alcohol • True the world over

12. Leading causes of years lived with disability, 15-44 year olds, world Men Women

13. Social Status influences health • Stress influences the way children’s brains develop • Children who experience more poverty experience more stress • Working memories have smaller capacities.

14. Being low man on the totem pole also influences stress levels and subsequent health. • E.g. British civil service study

15. Social status also influences mental health • People who have low levels of income and education are more likely to have poor mental health

16. Health influences social status • Health and nutrition affect height, which in turn influences social status • Tall men in particular benefit • In U.S. Presidential elections, the taller candidate usually wins.

18. Good health and nutrition, plus medical care, mean that you are less likely to have a deformity or disability • Deformity and disability lower status in interactions

19. Healthy people are also more likely to be good looking • Beauty also brings better treatment from others and higher status. • Good looking people are more likely to be helped by strangers • Good looking people are more likely to be treated leniently in court

20. Conclusion • Complex of feedback relationships between health and social status.