[Approaches to explaining social maldistribution of illnesses and mortality]

Socially unequal distribution of illness and mortality rates is nothing new. Studies dealing with this phenomenon date back to at least the past century. Despite this age-old tradition, explanatory patterns in respect of socio-epidemiology. are few and far between. The following article describes the approaches that have been tried to date. Materialistic explanations are the order of the day in British socio-epidemiology. It is assumed that low income results in increasing everyday problems due to lack of resources, funds being no longer sufficient to maintain health. Another series of explanations is based on characteristics of working conditions. According to this theory, cardiovascular risk is increased by combinations such as high demands/low wages and high demands/low level of controlling the work. Characteristic features of job activity also exercise a long-term influence on mental flexibility and problem-solving competence. The characteristic pattern realisations that are considered undesirable, occur more frequently in the lower strata of society. Events resulting in stress bringing about a change in life, as well as lack of basic social support, are also more frequently seen in the lower strata of society. The theory of experience of coherence postulates that a more efficient solution of problems and less subjective stress are associated with perceiving the environment as coherent and manageable. This characteristic, too, is sociostructurally not uniformly distributed.