Biological, physical, and social causes of illness
To analyze the causes of ill health and how they are related, it may
help to group them as follows:
• Biological: caused by a living organism, such as a
virus, bacterium, parasite, or fungus.
• Physical: caused by some condition in the physical
environment, such as a thorn, lack of sufficient water,
or crowded living conditions.
• Social: caused by human factors—the way people relate to
or treat each other. These social causes can be divided into 3
sub-groups:
–– cultural: having to do with people’s attitudes, customs,
beliefs, and schooling (or lack of schooling).
–– economic: having to do with money, land, and resources-
who has them and who does not.
–– political: having to do with power-who controls whom
and how.
Ask the discussion group to list the various causes of a particular
illness in columns under the headings biological, physical, and
social. For example:
26-5
Symbols like
these, adapted
lo your area,
may help people
understand and
remember the
different groups.
As the students draw up the list, they will soon realize that social causes usually
lie behind and are more numerous than the biological and physical causes. It is
very important that the group recognize and discuss these social causes, because...
• the social causes are often ignored or overlooked by professionals and
authorities, and
• only after the underlying social causes of ill health have been dealt with, can
there be a lasting improvement in the health of the poor.