부산대학교 도서관

It is well acknowledged that place can create inequalities in health but there is a debate within geographical research as to whether the health and wellbeing of an individual is determined by their own attributes (the compositional theory) and/or the environmental attributes of the area where the person lives (contextual approach). More recently, it has been argued that these determinants interact with each other, signifying that they are ‘mutually reinforcing’ (relational). This chapter outlines this key debate and engages with it by using data from a longitudinal household survey conducted in the most and least deprived neighbourhoods of Stockton-on-Tees. It examines the explanatory role of compositional and contextual factors and their interaction. The survey results indicate that there is a significant gap in general and physical health in Stockton-on-Tees and compositional-level material factors, contextual factors and their interaction appear to be the major explanations of the health gap. The findings are discussed in relation to geographical theories of health inequalities and the political and economic context of austerity. It further highlights the importance of the ‘relational approach’ in understanding geographical inequalities in health.Stockton-on-Tees has the highest health inequalities in England. Life expectancy at birth reveals a gap between the most and least deprived neighbourhoods of 17.3 years for men and 11.4 years for women (Public Health England, 2015). This is similar to differences in life expectancy between the US and Ghana or the UK and India (WHO, 2016). Life expectancy, though, is only a headline indicator, signifying the need to explore the extent and determinants of other aspects of health inequalities in that area (Bambra, 2016).
Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. How has austerity impacted on health and wellbeing in the UK? Health in Hard Times explores its repercussions for social inequalities in health.The result of five years of research, the book draws on a case study of Stockton-on-Tees in the north-east of England, home to some of the starkest health divides. By placing individual and local experiences in the context of national budget cuts and welfare reforms, it provides a holistic perspective on countrywide inequalities.Edited by a leading expert, this is an important book for anyone seeking to understand one of today’s most significant determinants of health.Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This book is a vital review of the impact of austerity on the wellbeing of the UK. Case studies from Stockton-on-Tees, home to some of the starkest health divides, are combined with a review of the repercussions of budget cuts and welfare reforms to show the vast inequalities in health in the UK today.