Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Lima,Maria Luisa
Data de Publicação: 2015
Outros Autores: Morais,Rita
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2015001102342
Resumo: Abstract Health inequalities are very well documented in epidemiological research: rich people live longer and have fewer diseases than poor people. Recently, a growing amount of evidence from environmental sciences confirms that poor people are also more exposed to pollution and other environmental threats. However, research in the social sciences has shown a broad lack of awareness about health inequalities. In this paper, based on data collected in Portugal, we will analyze the consciousness of both health and environmental injustices and test one hypothesis for this social blindness. The results show, even more clearly than before, that public opinion tends to see rich and poor people as being equally susceptible to health and environmental events. Furthermore, those who have this equal view of the world present lower levels of depression and anxiety. Following cognitive adaptation theory, this “belief in an equal world” can be interpreted as a protective positive illusion about social justice, particularly relevant in one of the most unequal countries in Europe.
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spelling Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental healthHealth InequalitiesSocial InequityEnvironmentAbstract Health inequalities are very well documented in epidemiological research: rich people live longer and have fewer diseases than poor people. Recently, a growing amount of evidence from environmental sciences confirms that poor people are also more exposed to pollution and other environmental threats. However, research in the social sciences has shown a broad lack of awareness about health inequalities. In this paper, based on data collected in Portugal, we will analyze the consciousness of both health and environmental injustices and test one hypothesis for this social blindness. The results show, even more clearly than before, that public opinion tends to see rich and poor people as being equally susceptible to health and environmental events. Furthermore, those who have this equal view of the world present lower levels of depression and anxiety. Following cognitive adaptation theory, this “belief in an equal world” can be interpreted as a protective positive illusion about social justice, particularly relevant in one of the most unequal countries in Europe.Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz2015-11-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2015001102342Cadernos de Saúde Pública v.31 n.11 2015reponame:Cadernos de Saúde Públicainstname:Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)instacron:FIOCRUZ10.1590/0102-311X00105714info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessLima,Maria LuisaMorais,Ritaeng2016-05-24T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S0102-311X2015001102342Revistahttp://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/csp/https://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phpcadernos@ensp.fiocruz.br||cadernos@ensp.fiocruz.br1678-44640102-311Xopendoar:2016-05-24T00:00Cadernos de Saúde Pública - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
title Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
spellingShingle Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
Lima,Maria Luisa
Health Inequalities
Social Inequity
Environment
title_short Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
title_full Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
title_fullStr Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
title_full_unstemmed Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
title_sort Lay perceptions of health and environmental inequalities and their associations to mental health
author Lima,Maria Luisa
author_facet Lima,Maria Luisa
Morais,Rita
author_role author
author2 Morais,Rita
author2_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Lima,Maria Luisa
Morais,Rita
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Health Inequalities
Social Inequity
Environment
topic Health Inequalities
Social Inequity
Environment
description Abstract Health inequalities are very well documented in epidemiological research: rich people live longer and have fewer diseases than poor people. Recently, a growing amount of evidence from environmental sciences confirms that poor people are also more exposed to pollution and other environmental threats. However, research in the social sciences has shown a broad lack of awareness about health inequalities. In this paper, based on data collected in Portugal, we will analyze the consciousness of both health and environmental injustices and test one hypothesis for this social blindness. The results show, even more clearly than before, that public opinion tends to see rich and poor people as being equally susceptible to health and environmental events. Furthermore, those who have this equal view of the world present lower levels of depression and anxiety. Following cognitive adaptation theory, this “belief in an equal world” can be interpreted as a protective positive illusion about social justice, particularly relevant in one of the most unequal countries in Europe.
publishDate 2015
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2015-11-01
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2015001102342
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2015001102342
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 10.1590/0102-311X00105714
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv text/html
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Cadernos de Saúde Pública v.31 n.11 2015
reponame:Cadernos de Saúde Pública
instname:Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
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instname_str Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
instacron_str FIOCRUZ
institution FIOCRUZ
reponame_str Cadernos de Saúde Pública
collection Cadernos de Saúde Pública
repository.name.fl_str_mv Cadernos de Saúde Pública - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv cadernos@ensp.fiocruz.br||cadernos@ensp.fiocruz.br
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