1. HEALTH TRENDS
ETHNICITY
AGE

2. OBJECTIVES On completion of this session, you should be able to…
1. Explain health trends in relation to ethnicity and age.
2. Provide an account of three sociological explanations of health trends relating to ethnicity and age.

3. ETHNICITY - statistics
Babies born to immigrant Pakistani mothers are more than twice as likely to die in their first week of life as the babies of British-born mothers.

4. ETHNICITY - statistics
Health inequalities are also seen among different ethnic groups:
The White Gypsy or Irish Traveller groups, identified for the first time in the 2011 Census, have particularly poor health. Both men and women have twice the White British rates of limiting long-term illness.
50% of all men aged 65 or older reported a limiting long-term illness, but 69% of Bangladeshi older men reported being ill.
56% of all women aged 65 or older reported a limiting long-term illness, but this was reported by 70% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women.
Conversely, the Chinese group reported consistently better health: half or under half the White British rate for both men and women.
(‘Ethnic Health Inequalities 1991–2011’, ESRC Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity, October 2013)
Question: What reasons can you suggest for these differences? (Think of social class, area and cultural differences.)

5. Health Trends and Stratification
Ethnic differences
There are differences in health issues between ethnic groups:
Biological / natural
Cultural / behavioural
Structural/ material

6. Health Trends and Stratification
Ethnic differences
BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
High rates of sickle cell anaemia amongst Afro-Caribbeans, amongst people of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent; due to ‘faulty’ genes inherited from parents

7. Health Trends and Stratification
Ethnic differences
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Higher rates of heart disease amongst Asians has been linked to the use of ghee in cooking.
Difficulties in communication and language barriers.

8. Afro-Caribbeans and some Asians are more
Health Trends and Stratification
Ethnic differences
STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES
Afro-Caribbeans and some Asians are more
likely to be affected by the same
issues as the lower classes.

9. Population increase in different age brackets
AGE – STATISTICS
It is estimated that between the total population of England and Wales will rise by 8%.
Population increase in different age brackets
Age range
Percentage increase
45-59
60-74
75-84
85+ 15 43 48
138

10. Older people are more than twice as likely as those below the age of 65 to die from heart disease and more than five times more likely to have a heart attack.
Despite this Age Concern found that 20% of coronary care units operate an age-related admissions policy. A further 40% limit the allocation of “clot busting” drugs to the elderly.

11. Health Trends and Stratification
Age differences
There are differences in health issues between those of different ages:
Biological / natural
Cultural / behavioural
Structural/ material

12. Health Trends and Stratification
Age differences
STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES
Elderly groups receive less expenditure relative to need.
Elderly are more likely to suffer with poverty.
Some health authorities have placed age limits on certain treatments and screening programmes (63% of women
with breast cancer are over 65, yet the over 64s are
excluded from routine screenings).

13. Face transport difficulties.
Health Trends and Stratification
Age differences
STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES
Face transport difficulties.
Denied certain treatments and screening programmes.
Unable to afford the costs of private health care.

14. The elderly may fail to eat well. The elderly may exercise less.
Health Trends and Stratification
Age differences
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
The elderly may fail to eat well.
The elderly may exercise less.
The younger generation may binge drink more.

15. The ageing process means that people experience
Health Trends and Stratification
Age differences
BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
The ageing process means that people experience
more illness as they get older

16. SOCIOLOGY - HEALTH
In conclusion
there are many inequalities in the health status of individuals depending on class, age, gender and ethnicity.
There are also a variety of reasons put forward for the differences in the statistics of different groups.
THE END