The introductory and concluding chapters, respectively, written by Marmot and Wilkinson, have been extensively revised, and many of the other chapters have been revised as well. Because the chapters have in many cases been authored by prominent experts in their field and the book has been edited by two of the most visible contributors in this area of inquiry, the reader expects much. Indeed, most readers will not be disappointed. Those new to the area will be excited by the scope of inquiry, more experienced readers will find that the new chapters add considerably and that much of the previous material has been updated, reflecting new findings.
This book is worth reading and having on your shelf. However it is an edited volume and, therefore, each chapter reflects not just new topics, but also considerable variations in perspectives and approaches.
Thus, it is a bit of a collage of assertions, language, and conclusions and lacks the coherence and integration that is suggested in the introductory chapter by Marmot and in the admittedly speculative concluding chapter by Wilkinson. Perhaps this is to be expected given that there are 30 authors and it would be premature to expect unanimity of approach and conclusions given the state of the evidence.
Of course this is also often a feature of other edited volumes, however one example indicates to what extent this is problematic. Indeed, this brings up the whole issue of language. And what is the relationship between psychological and psychosocial, often used as if they are the same.
It is perhaps too much to ask of this volume to set these matters straight, but the imprecision in the use of these terms in the book, and elsewhere, can certainly obscure the difference between real and false dichotomies, as well as confusing the reader. A related issue has to do with the role of micro and macro analyses. There is a nice complementarity between the more micro-approach to the study of connection between work and health taken by Michael Marmot, Johannes Siegrist, and Tores Theorell in Chapter 6 and the more macro-approach taken by Mel Bartley, Jane Ferrie, and Scott Montgomery in Chapter 5.
In the first case, the emphasis is more on the evidence linking aspects of the psychosocial work environment with adverse health outcomes, and in the latter the emphasis is more on changes in labour market conditions, their impact on job security and unemployment, and the connections with health.
However, the links between the micro and the macro are seen as problematic in economics, sociology, and other areas of enquiry, and Geoffrey Rose reminded us of the differences between the causes of disease within individuals in a population and between populations. With that in mind, the portions of the book that attempt to seamlessly integrate evidence from studies of individuals with evidence from studies of societies seem underdeveloped and less convincing.
A good example of the difficulties involved in such attempts is Richard Wilkinson's concluding chapter in which he attempts to link the health effects of income inequality within countries, between countries, and studies of psychological processes in individuals. Absent new strengths that may come from the formal modelling attempts to link macro-approaches and micro-approaches being developed in the study of complex systems, such linkages are little more than metaphorical.
One of the nice additions to the second edition of the volume is an explicit attempt to link the information presented in each chapter to policy. Given the state of the evidence and the relative lack of experimental or quasi-experimental data, there is considerable variation between chapters in making these links. Perhaps one of the better examples is in Chapter 3 where Michael Wadsworth and Suzie Butterworth explicitly discuss some of the policy interventions that have been undertaken to improve health in early life, although the bulk of these come from studies of low-income countries.
Social supoort and social cohesion, Stephen A Stansfeld 9. Social patterning of individual health behaviours: the case of cigarette smoking, Martin J Jarvis and Jane Wardle This volume should be relevant to anyone interested in health determinants, given its clear organization and concise writing. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.
Academic Skip to main content. Search Start Search. Choose your country or region Close. Dear Customer, As a global organization, we, like many others, recognize the significant threat posed by the coronavirus. Please contact our Customer Service Team if you have any questions. To purchase, visit your preferred ebook provider. Oxford Scholarship Online This book is available as part of Oxford Scholarship Online - view abstracts and keywords at book and chapter level.
Wilkinson This book provides what is at once the most authoritative and readable overview of what research tells us about how different areas of public policy affect the health of the population. Review from the previous edition "Excellent Also of Interest. Hope and Honor Rachel L. Responsible Gambling Howard J. It then looks at what is known about the most important social determinants of health today, and the role that public policy can play in shaping a social environment that is more conducive to better health.
This second edition relies on the most up-to-date sources in its selection and description of the main social determinants of health in our society today. Key research sources are given for each: stress, early life, social exclusion, working conditions, unemployment, social support, addiction, healthy food and transport policy.
Policy and action for health need to address the social determinants of health, attacking the causes of ill health before they can lead to problems.
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