Social Sociological Theory Of Social Epidemiology

Social epidemiology is a branch of epidemiology that explains how socio-structural factors influence disease distribution in the society. Since every population is distinguished by the people that are present in it and their traits, this makes it very important to study the social, structural and biological factors that influence the decisions and behaviors of the people as this ultimately has a remarkable effect on health.
Theories are postulations that help to explain the relationship between the exposure and outcome. It is not enough to establish causality but there is a need to also understand the likely pathway by which the causality is established. The observation of a recurring mechanism by which certain factors interact to cause a predictable

The distribution of income, access to healthcare, education, and occupation is not equal within and between societies; this is further demonstrated in the patterns of health and disease which follow the socio-political changes, and determine the distribution of disease in societies over time. This theory provides a broader view of the social environment beyond the individual perspective.
This theory aims to answer contemporary questions such as: what are the health impacts of: the decision by the Nigerian government to borrow more funds to execute structural projects, increase income inequality, immigration laws, insurance policies, structural regulation programs imposed by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank repealing of the Obama care? These factors operating at the macro level contribute to the margin of health disparity in the population. An example is the decrease in hospital visits among LGBT men after passing into law the right of gay marriage. Another example is the increase in vessico vaginal fistula in Nigeria after passing into law the child marriage law and decreasing the permissible age of girl child

Pathway to embodiment: the various mechanisms in which the social, biological, environmental factors affect how the body functions.
Exposure, susceptibility and resistance: how inequalities in health status among subjugated groups, exposure to power, wealth, production, lifecourse, etc. affect what an individual is susceptible to and the resistance they develop
Agency and Accountability: this claims that the State should be held accountable for the pattern of disease distribution. It also stresses that epidemiologists have the responsibility of conducting rigorous research, giving an accurate report of findings and becoming activists and not just researchers to ensure a decrease in health disparity where injustice is observed,.
An example of the application of the ecosocial theory is seen in the in the prevalence of mesothelioma (a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos) among low income male factory workers in Nigeria. This can be explained by:
Embodiment: the occupational environment does not offer protection to low income workers which cause them to constantly inhale the asbestos until it leads to the development of