Key Concepts in Promoting Physical Activity in Canadian Society

Module 4: Key Concepts to Promoting Physical Activity in Canadian Society

Objectives of Module 4

  • Understand and recognize key differences between:

    • Equality

    • Inequality

    • Equity

    • Justice (especially in health context)

  • Recognize real-world examples of these concepts in physical activity domain.

Understanding the Concepts

Equality

  • Definition: Everyone has access to the same resources regardless of background or circumstance.

  • Health equality involves treating all individuals the same with equal access to resources and opportunities for positive health outcomes.

    • Example: All individuals receive the same physical activity resources despite different needs.

  • Limitation:

    • All members might not benefit equally due to varying backgrounds (e.g., language barriers, financial status).

Inequality

  • Definition: Concerned with outcomes (healthy vs. unhealthy).

  • Exists when quantitative differences in health outcomes can be observed among different population groups.

  • Non-judgmental description, focuses on the measurable differences in health and physical activity levels among groups.

  • Health inequality can arise from diverse factors affecting demographic groups (age, gender identity, etc.).

Health Inequality and Disparity

  • Health Inequality:

    • Refers to measurable differences without moral judgement about these differences.

    • Example: Differences in physical activity levels across age groups.

  • Health Disparity:

    • When inequalities arise from unjust and avoidable circumstances.

    • Often affects marginalized groups due to overlapping factors (income, race, etc.).

Health Factors: Modifiable vs Non-modifiable

Non-Modifiable Factors

  • Genetics/Biological factors

  • Sex

  • Race or ethnic background

  • Disabilities

  • Age

Modifiable Factors

  • Individual motivation to engage in health behaviors

  • Psychosocial factors (beliefs, attitudes, knowledge)

  • Social support from others

Addressing Health Inequity

  • All individuals have a right to health regardless of their social context in Canada.

  • Two primary solutions:

    • Equity: Measures to reduce health disparity by providing tailored support to specific groups.

    • Social Justice: Social system reform to eliminate obstacles to health, focusing on systemic discrimination.

Implementing Equity

  • Equity aims to provide necessary support tailored to individual backgrounds and circumstances.

  • Key components include:

    • Reducing health disparities.

    • Focusing on marginalized groups to improve their health outcomes.

Understanding Social Justice

  • Definition: The initiative to remove systemic obstacles to equal health access.

  • Focuses on the interconnected relationships within society causing discrimination and inequity.

  • Emphasizes equal access to resources such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare.

Summary Concepts

Health Inequality vs. Health Disparity

  • Health Inequality: Quantitative differences in health across populations.

  • Health Disparity: Arises from unjust, unfair, avoidable inequalities, primarily affecting marginalized groups.

Equality vs. Equity

  • Equality: Providing everyone with the same resources. May not help those who start from different places.

  • Equity: Actual fairness by giving tailored chances to individuals based on their needs and backgrounds.

Social Justice in Practice

  • Requires identifiable human rights, access, and participation from all to implement effective solutions.

  • Equity and social justice work collectively to ensure that outcomes are just, fair, and equitable.

Decision Making Tree Context in Physical Activity

  • Inequity: Root cause of many disparities (e.g., unsafe parks limit physical activity).

  • Health Disparity: Outcome arising from systemic inequities.

  • Equity: Tailored approaches to address disparities, integral to achieving social justice in health.

Module 4 focuses on key concepts essential for promoting physical activity in Canadian society, centering on the objectives of understanding and recognizing the critical differences between equality, inequality, equity, and justice, particularly in the health context. Equality is defined as everyone having access to the same resources regardless of background or circumstance. In a health context, this means treating all individuals the same and providing them with equal access to resources and opportunities that foster positive health outcomes. An example of this is when all individuals receive identical physical activity resources despite having different needs. However, a limitation of this approach is that not all members might benefit equally due to their varying backgrounds, such as language barriers or financial status.

Inequality, on the other hand, pertains to observed outcomes, specifically the disparities between healthy and unhealthy individuals and groups. It exists when measurable differences in health outcomes can be seen among different population groups. This concept is a non-judgmental description that focuses on the quantitative disparities in health and physical activity levels existing among various demographics like age and gender identity. Health inequality refers to these measurable differences without moral judgment, illustrated by variations in physical activity levels across age groups. In contrast, health disparity occurs when inequities arise from unjust and avoidable circumstances, often disproportionately affecting marginalized groups due to overlapping factors such as income and race.

Health factors can be divided into modifiable and non-modifiable factors. Non-modifiable factors encompass genetics, biological factors, sex, race or ethnic background, disabilities, and age. Conversely, modifiable factors include individual motivation to engage in health behaviors, psychosocial factors such as beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge, as well as social support from others. Addressing health inequity is crucial because all individuals possess the right to health, regardless of their social context in Canada. There are two primary solutions to this issue: equity, which involves reducing health disparities through tailored support for specific groups, and social justice, which focuses on reforming social systems to remove obstacles to health, particularly those related to systemic discrimination.

Implementing equity necessitates providing necessary support that is tailored to individuals' backgrounds and circumstances, focusing particularly on marginalized groups to enhance their health outcomes. Understanding social justice is equally important; it involves efforts to eliminate systemic barriers to equal health access and emphasizes the necessity of equal availability of resources like food, shelter, education, and healthcare.

In summary, health inequality refers to quantitative differences in health across populations, while health disparity emerges from inequities that are unjust, unfair, and avoidable, primarily impacting marginalized groups. The distinction between equality and equity is critical; equality provides everyone the same resources, potentially failing those who begin from different circumstances, whereas equity involves granting fairness by offering tailored opportunities based on individual needs and backgrounds. Social justice in practice requires the recognition of identifiable human rights, ensuring access and participation for all, to develop effective solutions. This is supported by a decision-making tree that illustrates how inequity can be a root cause of many disparities, such as unsafe parks that limit physical activity, where health disparity is the outcome stemming from underlying systemic inequities, and equity represents the tailored approaches necessary for addressing these disparities, essential for achieving social justice in health.