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UNIT 8 PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH- P3, P4, M2, M3
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LEARNING AIM B: Examine the factors affecting health and the impact of addressing thesefactors to improve public health
P3: Explain factors affecting current patterns of health and ill health in a specific demographic
area
P4: Explain the impact of public health policy in minimising these factors in relation to a specific
demographic
M2: Assess the extent to which factors affect current patterns of health, with reference to a
specific demographic area
M3: Assess how minimising the factors affecting health can contribute to improving the health of
the population in relation to the area.
In this assignment I am going to examine the factors affecting health and the impact of addressing
these factors to improve public health. There are several factors that affect health and I am going to
concentrate on four main ones which are socio-economic, environmental, and genetic and lifestyle.
For this assignment I am going to concentrate on obesity and how these factors influence obesity.
P3: Explain factors affecting current patterns of health and ill health in a specific
demographic area
Firstly, I am going to explain factors affecting current patterns of health and ill health in a specific
demographic area. The specific demographic area I will be focusing on is the London Borough of
Tower Hamlets and I going to use the Health and Well-being Borough Profile 2018.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS:
I am going to explain how socio-economic factors affect obesity. Socio-economic factors are those
which relate to a person’s social and economic background. This can comprise: income, education,
occupation, gender and ethnicity. I will be focusing on income. An example of something
socioeconomic is a person's class in society based on how much money he makes. It has long been
acknowledged that social and economic background affects an individual’s health, wellbeing and
overall life expectancy. The WHO states that the circumstances in which people are born, develop,
live, work and age will control their health and wellbeing. Furthermore, health and wellbeing are
affected by social and economic factors, such as access to money, power and possessions. These
factors (termed social determinants) instigate health inequalities within and between countries. In
2011, the British Medical Association (BMA) published Social Determinants of Health – What Can
Doctors Do. The report reveals that inequalities in health and social care are determined by a
person’s age, income, education, occupation, gender, ethnicity and where a person resides within
Britain. The report intends to assist doctors recognise and take actions, which are neither
particularly medical nor requiring medical knowledge, to make a positive difference.
(Pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk, 2019)
Obesity is linked to some of the top reasons of death, including heart disease, some cancers, stroke,
and type 2 diabetes. Although obesity levels have been increasing for all socioeconomic groups,
some groups are more affected than others. Recent research highlights the difficulty and disparity in
how socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity are correlated. (Prb.org, 2019) Children are much more
likely to be an overweight child, if they come from a deprived family. If existing trends continue, half
,the population of Britain could be obese by 2050. A link between poverty and childhood obesity has
been found in many developed countries. Instinctively, it appears likely this link is the outcome of
poorer parents not being able to afford healthier food, like fruit, or outings comprising exercise for
their children. It could moreover be that those parents know less regarding healthy lifestyles and
that they themselves eat less healthily and exercise less. (Garrington, 2019) In low-income
communities where places to play and supermarkets may be scarce, it can endorse consumption of
low nutrition and fast food and little to no physical activity. Eating healthily costs three times as
much as consuming unhealthy food - and the price gap is broadening, according to a study by
Cambridge University. They found that 1,000 calories made up from healthy items, such as lean
salmon, yoghurts and tomatoes, cost an average of £7.49 in 2012. The same calorie intake from less
healthy items, such as pizza, beef burgers, and doughnuts, could be bought for an average of £2.50.
People who come from low income backgrounds will desire to buy unhealthy foods which are more
filling because they will be able to save a lot more money, therefore being able to spend that money
on something more important such as bills.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:
Environmental factors are those which a person develops and lives around which influences health
and wellbeing. Instances of environmental factors are poor housing, green spaces, and access to
services, access to exercise facilities, air pollution and local area. I am going to explain how access to
exercise facilities impacts on rates of obesity. One of the main aims by the government is to
diminish obesity and enhance the health of the population. Exercise helps individuals to attain and
preserve a healthy weight. Gyms and fitness centres are good places to exercise. Though, people
may not be able to afford to join a gym or a fitness centre, or pay for exercise courses. Some gyms
and fitness centres offer monthly membership and some local authorities permit discounts at fitness
centres for people requesting certain benefits. Many local authorities also supply fitness machines in
local parks for anyone to use free of charge. Conversely, people who work during the daytime may
have safety concerns about using this equipment to exercise in the evenings when they are able to
do so. People who like to run or jog may be anxious about poor lighting, uneven roadways, busy
traffic and numerous other issues that may make exercising in their local area unsafe. Playing
outside and contributing in planned and unorganised sporting activities helps children’s wellbeing
and health. Moreover, many children wish to stay indoors and play computer games and lack the
interest to participate in sports or exercise. This has contributed to many health issues such as
obesity and a recurrence of rickets. NHS Choices has conveyed a minor but significant increase in
cases in recent years. Many of these children have low levels of vitamin D in their blood (which may
be caused by low exposure to sunlight). (Pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk, 2019)
The occurrence of obesity in childhood and adolescence increases the risk of suffering from obesity
in adult life, and the appearance of numerous processes such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular
diseases and chronic back pain. Also, enough physical activity in children and adolescents is related
to lesser cardiovascular risk, lower levels of concern, improved musculoskeletal development and,
understandably, lower body weight. There are several potential causes for reduced access to
exercise facilities impacting on the rate of obesity. Hundreds of community playgrounds shut due to
local council funding cuts. Research undertaken by the Association of Play Industries has discovered
that local authorities across England are closing children’s playgrounds. The research has disclosed
that 214 playgrounds have been closed, with an additional 234 playgrounds earmarked for closure
, by local authorities. In the 2018-19 financial year, 11 local authorities conveyed that they were
planning to close a total of 51 playgrounds - with a additional 99 local authorities incapable to
confirm their plans. When it came to the reasons why local authorities were closing or planning to
close playgrounds, they commonly mentioned: absence of funds to preserve, repair or replace
equipment, equipment outdated, obsolete or reaching the end of its working life or far from repair
and destruction, anti-social behaviour or community worries. The negative impact on children’s
health and wellbeing is that obesity comes from decreasing provision of play spaces which increases
levels of inactive actions which endure into adulthood and rising obesity. The satisfactory provision
of playgrounds outside of schools and in local communities will allow children to be even more
active. One Canadian study found that “children with a park playground within 1 km [of their home]
were almost five times more likely to be classified as being of a healthy weight rather than at risk of
being overweight compared to those children without playgrounds in nearby parks.” It concluded
that obtainability of certain park facilities may play a more significant role in endorsing physical
activity and healthy weight status amid children than availability of park space overall. (Api-play.org,
2019)
Another reason for the reduced access to exercise facilities impacting on the rate of obesity is the
affordability of gyms, fitness classes and health centres means those who are overweight cannot
afford to pay for these services. The Labour research found an annual gym pass now charges £368
on average, a rise of £15 since 2010. This will make it difficult for people on low incomes to access
leisure facilities and these people already use these services in the lowest numbers. Prices of
evening fitness classes have likewise increased at almost every local authority centre and now
average £5.95 per visit. Shadow public health minister Luciana Berger said it was a "real risk" to
tackling obesity. (BBC News, 2019) Not having access to gym and leisure facilities will contribute to
obesity as people from low income families who already cannot afford to eat healthily will most
likely have an unhealthy weight, going to gym will help reduce their risks of obesity and other health
issues associated to it. But if they are unable to afford to have a healthy diet and not afford to go to
gym then it will have very negative outcomes on health and wellbeing.
Another reason for the reduced access to exercise facilities impacting on the rate of obesity are
distresses regarding children’s safety when playing outside, including from violent attacks,
association in minor crime and exploitation by drug dealers or paedophiles has led to many parents
not permitting unsupervised outdoor play. Two thirds of parents said they thought children were
getting overweight because of safety concerns about them playing outside and getting exercise
without supervision. Child Psychologist said: "There is no doubt that play patterns have changed
dramatically in recent years. Whereas energetic free-play outdoors used to be the typical activity in
childhood, such opportunities are rare now, largely because of parental fears about their child's
safety. Sadly, this has a restrictive effect on a child's development, with less physical play, less
exploratory play and even less social play”. This decline in physical movement during play almost
undoubtedly contributes to the increase in childhood obesity. (Rebecca Smith, 2019) Although child
safety is an issue to parents, therefore not allowing their children to play outsider unsupervised,
parents need to take responsibility to ensure they supervise their children while they play outside,
hence receiving the required exercise needed to prevent obesity.
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