Social Factors in Disease

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Abstract
Recognition of the influence of social and cultural factors in disease goes back to antiquity, though specification of the ways in which this influence is exerted still lacks pre cision. The effects of the social order on health and disease are many and varied. Social definitions determine the actions which persons and societies take in the face of given symptoms and disorders. Social practices may exert their effects di rectly on the organism and its physical capacities or may operate primarily through psychological processes which are linked to the maintenance of bodily equilibriums. In either instance, these effects tend to be nonspecific as to disease. Social status, variations in life styles, adaptation to new or stressful situations, work group structure, and family patterns have been found to be associated with differences in the in cidence of a variety of diseases. The intricacies of dealing with social factors in disease and the ramifications for the larger society are plainly seen in the case of smoking.

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