Economic rationalisation of health behaviours: the dangers of attempting policy discussions in a vacuum.
Soc Sci Med
; 114: 200-3, 2014 Aug.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24825820
ABSTRACT
When analysing the health behaviours of any group of people, understanding the constraints and possibilities for individual agency as shaped by the broader societal context is critical. In recent decades, our understanding of the ways in which physical and social environments influence health and health behaviours has expanded greatly. The authors of a recent analysis of Australian Aboriginal health data using an economic 'rational choice model,' published in this journal, claim to make a useful contribution to policy discussions relating to Aboriginal health, but neglect context. By doing so, they neglect the very factors that determine the success or failure of policy change. Notwithstanding the technical sophistication of the analyses, by ignoring most relevant determinants of health, the conclusions misrepresent the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and therefore risk perpetuating harm, rather than improving health.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Formulación de Políticas
/
Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud
/
Modelos Económicos
/
Nativos de Hawái y Otras Islas del Pacífico
/
Política de Salud
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Soc Sci Med
Año:
2014
Tipo del documento:
Article