European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

The social context of an individual shapes the risk of exposure, susceptibility of the host, and disease’s course and outcome, even if the disease is infectious, genetic, malignant, or degenerative. For example Conley at al. (2003) in their study among two groups of couples where one is high income and the other is low income group, along with each group has same 20 percent biological predisposition toward having a low-birth-weight baby finds that social variables can reverse the biological disadvantage. They found that the high income group has a very high probability of dealing with their biological predisposition through better nutrition and prenatal care. Their study shows that social factors can reverse the biological risk, for example by explaining how income translate into better education, living situation, jobs, quality medical care, and a good diet and other healthy lifestyle practices.