[Role of social epidemiology in the evaluation of psychosocial health determinants].
The relationship between social factors and health status is well known in medical sciences. However, the importance of methods implemented in the assessment of psychosocial health determinants has been addressed only recently. The combined perspective of epidemiology and sociology showed the need for the new science called social epidemiology. The aim of this work was to review the results of studies on effects of psychosocial factors on increased risk of disease and death. The association between socioeconomic position and health is well established. There is a direct relationship--the better the socioeconomic position the better health. The socioeconomic relative inequalities not only the absolute differences between socioeconomic groups influence health. The relationship between unemployment and increased mortality has been reported in western industrialized countries. Classical longitudinal studies of unemployed cohorts showed that unemployed men had higher mortality. Social epidemiology has also revealed the influence of social relationships on mortality. The theory of social support and social network buffer links social ties to less morbidity, mortality and better functioning. Randomized clinical trials positively tested the role of social support in preventive medicine, especially for secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It is critical to adopt findings of social epidemiology by health care policy. The epidemiological investigations and experimental research have shown how psychosocial interventions and economic policies are central to improving population health.
Zagozdzon
Paweł
P
Zakładu Higieny i Epidemiologii Instytutu Medycyny Społecznej Akademii Medycznej w Gdańsku. pzagoz@amg.gda.pl
Zaborski
Leszek
L
D001294:Attitude to Health; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland; D012923:Social Class; D012924:Social Conditions; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors