Social inequalities are apparent in most of the disease outcomes. The lower the socioeconomic position and neighborhood resources, the higher the morbidity and disease fatality. Social inequalities are even more evident in occupational health outcomes, because workers who have lower social economic status are more likely to expose to exploitative employment conditions and occupational hazards.
This course consists of three parts. The first introduces the concept of health equity and the role of medical care. The second examines selected social factors contributing to inequalities in health, including economic development, social class, and early life. In the third part, we will discuss labor and health issues from a social causation perspective, including employment and health, commodification of labor, health promoting workplace, and healthy labor policy.