Having equal opportunity for a long and healthy life, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, social class or place of residence is our goal, but some health differences are unavoidable.
Natural variations, choices and opportunities
For example, we are born with natural biological variation. Some of us freely choose health-damaging behavior, such as poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle or participation in certain injury-prone sports and pastimes. Sometimes certain groups have an earlier opportunity to adopt health-promoting behaviors, like when participating in new experimental drug or treatment studies—though in this case, others are able to catch up as soon as the new treatment is available to all.
Finding what can be changed
However, some health differences are avoidable, unfair, and ones which communities working together can improve.
These include:
- Health-damaging behavior in which the degree of choice of lifestyles is severely restricted.
- Exposure to unhealthy, stressful living and working conditions.
- Inadequate access to essential health services and other basic services.
- Health-related downward social mobility.
