{"id":2418,"date":"2012-03-27T15:55:47","date_gmt":"2012-03-27T15:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/content.scienceofecd.com\/third-edition\/?page_id=2418"},"modified":"2026-05-12T20:04:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:04:52","slug":"dh-1-2-life-course-trajectories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/content.scienceofecd.com\/third-edition\/dh-1-2-life-course-trajectories\/","title":{"rendered":"DH 1.1 Shaping life course trajectories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A central theme in Developmental Health is social equity. But what does this mean?  Is equity the same as equality? For example, if a policy provides equal education for all, is it necessarily equitable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try out the following interact to help you think more about equity and equality.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n INTERACT<\/span>\n What is equity?<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Consider…<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nFatima and Ximena, both aged 4, are from the same small town in rural Manitoba… Read more<\/a> <\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Are Fatima and Ximena being treated equally? Do they benefit equally? Why or why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there equity? What kind of programs or policies are needed to improve circumstances for Ximena?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you explain the difference between equity and equality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about a policy in your country that affects young children. Does it support equity? What could be done to support equity?<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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A multitude of factors, from the macro to the micro levels, contribute to the divergent health trajectories that children experience. A child\u2019s health ecosystem is influenced by social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors that impact healthy development and well-being. These influences start before birth and have an impact throughout an individual\u2019s life and across generations. Exposure to positive influences consistently and longitudinally increases the likelihood of health production, while exposure to negative influences decreases opportunities to be healthy. The timing of these exposures in life also matters\u2014the prenatal to early childhood period is one of the most sensitive times for children to get on the right track to meet their full health potential (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019, preface).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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The authors of the U.S. report, Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice and Policy to Advance Health Equity<\/em> provide a thorough examination of health equity and healthy development for children and families. While much of the information is unique to the U.S., the general principles of healthy development are relevant and applicable to other countries. The next reading is a link to the report summary (pp. 1 – 27) but also gives access to the full report. (Note – you may see a prompt with options to purchase the book or download a free PDF but it should also be possible to read it online from this link.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\n READ<\/span>Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice and Policy to Advance Health Equity: Summary<\/span><\/span> \n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Social determinants of health<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We usually think of things like a nutritious diet, exercise, clean air \u2013 all the factors that make up a healthy lifestyle as well as good genes \u2013 as being the most important factors in determining our health and life expectancy. Researchers are learning more and more that other aspects of life have major impacts on health. Experiences such as stress, a lack of control over one\u2019s life, prolonged experience of racism, being part of a gender or sexual minority, a person’s citizenship status, culture, or other forms of discrimination or inequities, can have deeply negative effects on health outcomes. On the other hand, a sense of belonging, being loved and nurtured, opportunities for language, upward social mobility (moving to a higher position in society), and access to health care and other services, can positively affect health outcomes, often quite substantially. These are all examples of \u201csocial determinants of health\u201d <\/strong>that help shape life course trajectories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider these examples of social determinants of health:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative:<\/th>Positive:<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Stress
Lack of control over life
Prolonged racism or other discrimination
Lack of resources
Food insecurity
Unemployment
Social isolation<\/td>		Sense of belonging
Being loved and nurtured
Opportunities for language
Supportive community
Social equity
Educational opportunities
Job security
Access to health services<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Can you think of others to add to the list?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Variables such as poverty, the inequitable distribution of income, unemployment, adverse working conditions, low levels of educational attainment and inadequate housing have a dramatically averse impact on health. If as a society we were to put as much effort and resources into improving these conditions \u2013 what are called the social determinants of health \u2013 as we do into various forms of bio-medicine, our collective health would improve dramatically\u201d (Silver, MacKinnon, & Fernandez, 2015, p. 1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO), published Closing the gap in a generation<\/em>, the final report of the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, chaired by Sir Michael Marmot. Listen to Sir Michael explain why people who are planning and implementing programs for young children throughout the world should have some understanding of the social determinants of health.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n VIEW<\/span>\n Marmot – social determinants (2:52)<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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