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09-Mar-2021
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Arch Hellen Med, 38(2), March-April 2021, 153-159 REVIEW Social inequalities in general and oral health, and the factors that affect the level of health
of the individual: K. Vlasiadis,1 E. Maisi,1 A. Patelarou,2 M. Trigoni3,4 |
Social inequalities are apparent in various aspects of life, including health. It has been shown that people belonging to lower social and economic strata live less, which is explained by various theoretical approaches, such as the model of social etiology and the model of social selection. According to the model of social selection, healthy people are more likely to develop and flourish, while ill people are more likely to be reduced to a lower social class. The theory of social etiology states that various factors in society affect individuals and make them behave in ways that promote or destroy their health. Various social and other factors have been documented to affect health, including income, educational level, gender and the geographical area to which the person belongs. Friends, relatives and the social context are also important, and loneliness and isolation are detrimental to health. Combined with unemployment or poverty, they can cause serious problems for both physical and mental health. Regarding the oral health of Greeks, in the years following the economic crisis, the number of active dentists decreased, accompanied by a decrease in the use of dental services, related to the limited financial capabilities of the population. The economic crisis has been associated with an increase in oral health inequalities, and inability of certain sections of the population to be adequately served in terms of their health status.
Key words: Health, Social inequalities, Supportive framework.
