Conference abstract
Health behavior as a key construct for social epidemiology, sociology of health, and public health
Tatiana Andreeva
BACKGROUND. Currently Global health is characterized with the leading burden of chronic degenerative diseases which are largely mediated by behaviors denoted as ‘health behaviors’ including use of alcohol and tobacco, unhealthy diet, and low physical activity. In the case of many modern infections, behavior plays a major role as well. The objective of this study was to consider the place of ‘health behavior’ in related social and health sciences.
METHODS. Theories in social epidemiology, sociology of health, and public health were considered as applied to ‘health behavior’.
RESULTS. Public health considers three groups of factors and three approaches to deal with health issues: biomedical, behavioral, and socio-environmental with understanding that the latter can be mediated by those prior. Sociologists of health state that behavior is no good predictor of health outcomes as it is influenced by social factors. Social epidemiologists suggest that the socioeconomic status is a ‘fundamental cause’ of health outcomes because it embodies an array of resources, such as money, knowledge, prestige, power, and beneficial social connections that protect health regardless which mechanisms are relevant at any given time. It is also stated that those having lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have unhealthy behaviors.
CONCLUSION. On the one hand, health behaviors are the outcome of social influences and, on the other hand, they are the prerequisite of biological measures of health status. Monitoring of health behaviors allows assessment of societal efforts to regulate risk of certain factors.
Abstract (pdf) in English
