Social Determinants of Health (Paperback)

~ Michael Marmot (Editor), Richard G. Wilkinson (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Review from the previous edition
"Excellent...[a] wide-ranging review of empirical evidence and discussion of its implications."--Chronic Diseases in Canada
"Marmot & Wilkinson have made a timely addition to the maturing field of health and health policy research. This volume should be relevant to anyone interested in health determinants, given its clear organization and concise writing."--Social Science & Medicine
"It is a dense, fascinating and wide-ranging collection...an excellent primer for those who wish to engage in the debate about how this policy can be taken forward to make a real difference to the lives of the people whose deprivations are analyses in its pages."--Health Matters
"The book surveys the effects of social inequality on health and offers a forum in which these can be linked with more obvious influences."--Times Higher Education Supplement
"At the core of The Social Determinants of Health is the groudbreaking Whitehall study...it found that wealth and status are the crucial factors in health and longevity."--The Guardian

Product Description

Social Determinants of Health, 2E gives an authoritative overview of the social and economic factors which are known to be the most powerful determinants of population health in modern societies. Written by acknowledged experts in each field, it provides accessible summaries of the scientific justification for isolating different aspects of social and economic life as the primary determinants of a population's health.
The new edition takes account of the most recent research and also includes additional chapters on ethnicity and health, sexual behaviors, the elderly, housing and neighborhoods.
Recognition of the power of socioeconomic factors as determinants of health came initially from research on health inequalities. This has led to a view of health as not simply about individual behavior or exposure to risk, but how the socially and economically structured way of life of a population shapes its health. Thus exercise and accidents as as much about a society's transport system as about individual decisions; and the nation's diet involves agriculture, food manufacture, retailing, and personal incomes as much as individual choice. But a major new element in the picture we have developed is the importance of the social, or psycho-social, environment to health. For example, health in the workplace for most employees - certainly for office workers - is less a matter of exposure to physical health hazards as of the social envrionment, of how supportive it is, whether people have control over their work, whether their jobs are secure. A similar picture emerges in other areas ranging from the health importance of the emotional envrionment in early childhood to the need for more socially cohesive communities.
Social Determinants of Health, 2E should be read by those interested in the wellbeing of modern societies. It is a must for public health professionals, for health promotion specialists, and for people working in the many fields of public policy which we now know make such an important contribution to health.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (November 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198565895
• ISBN-13: 978-0198565895
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #79,629 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ground-breaking, authoritative work, May 21, 2003

By	Chris Kabel (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Social Determinants of Health (Paperback)

Marmot and Wilkinson do a thorough, comprehensive job of exploring the emerging field of how social inequalities affect the health of populations. This is a great resource both for public health professionals and for those who are looking for an accessible way to be introduced to the topic. The second chapter alone - a detailed description of the physiological mechanisms by which psychosocial stress is translated to worse health outcomes - is worth the price. Marmot and Wilkinson's work has significance far beyond the realm of public health, and should be read by policy-makers of all ideological stripes.