Hi, need to submit a 2500 words essay on the topic Inequalities of Health in Childhood.The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of total physical, mental and social well-being,

Hi, need to submit a 2500 words essay on the topic Inequalities of Health in Childhood.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of total physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease” (WHO p. 286). Unfortunately, not everyone is healthy. The Black Report (1980) identifies the issue of health inequalities starting that “ill health and mortality is related to social class but also more generally to the ‘health differences between people in more or less favourable situations with respect to income, prestige (“standing in the community”) and education” (p. 1). Apart from these factors, health inequalities are also apparent between genders, different ethnic groups and age groups, such as the elderly. In a world where fairness and justice are desired by all, how come inequalities in health still persist? Many have attempted to explain this phenomenon. The House of Commons identify some causes of health inequalities as lifestyle factors that people adopt that make them and the people around them unhealthy. Some of these are smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and sleep. Other determinants of poor health are poverty, poor or lack of housing, employment and education and limited access to healthcare. The House of Commons also claim that people suffering from mental health problems or learning disabilities also have worse health than the rest of the population. Some individuals are born with congenital deficiencies which were affected by their genes and may have been affected by the health of their mothers. during pregnancy with them and then other factors worsened their health after their births. Children are vulnerable to parental influences on health habits and attitudes because they are dependent on their parents. Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model (1979) explains that the individual’s biological and personality factors, environment and the society and culture he was born into all interplay in his development. Brofenbrenner also claims that effects of interactions between the individual and his environment are two-directional or characterized by reciprocity. This means that while a child’s development is influenced and molded by his family, school and peers, he likewise influences and molds the behavior of others. This is reflective of provision of health services. A child’s health depends on his family’s health and the provisions of society. The growing child moves through five systems that inter-relate and affect his development. The microsystem is where the child has direct contact with his environment and is where he develops various behaviors such as dependence or independence and cooperation or competition. His family is part of this microsystem, and his primary providers of his basic needs. The next system is the mesosystem which links processes that take place between environments having the child as its common factor. An example is the child’s family and societal initiatives for children. The third level comprising linkages and processes taking place between two or more settings is the exosystem. This includes at least one setting that does not directly involve the child, but still influences the processes within the immediate setting of the child. The fourth system is the macrosystem which includes the customs, values and laws considered important in the child’s culture and upbringing.