healthscotland.com

Social class refers to classifying individuals position in society by grouping people together based on common social and economic factors. These factors include income, occupation and education.

In Scotland, people in different social classes experience differences in their health. Factors such as:

• working conditions
• housing conditions
• lifestyle choices

can all have an impact on health outcomes.

Equally Well, the report of the Scottish ministerial taskforce on health inequalities, found that some of the key health inequalities in Scotland are:

• in the 10% most deprived areas of Scotland, life expectancy for males was 13.0 years lower than males living in the 10% least deprived areas and 8.6 years lower for females
• people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland have a suicide risk twice as high as the Scottish average
• in 2005-06, smoking rates were higher in lower social classes with 44% of adults in the most deprived 10% of areas smoking compared to 11% in the least deprived 10% areas
• two thirds of the total alcohol-related deaths in 2006 were in the most deprived areas.

Resources

Dimensions of Diversity Report (NHS Health Scotland 2010)



Equally Well (external link)



Scottish Health Survey Volume 1 (external link)



Scottish Government discussion paper on Poverty, Inequality and deprivation (2008) (external link)


Poverty Alliance (external link)

General



Commission on Social Determinants of Health final report (World health Organisation, 2008) (external link)



Fair society, Healthy Lives, The Marmot review (external link)

Reviewed 1 August 2010