Eugenics:-: Determinants of Health

Module II
Determinants of health
Eugenics:-
• The word „Eugenics‟ derived from the Greek ward („eu‟) good and
(„genics‟) born.
• Defined as “the science of improvement of the human race through better
breeding.”
• It is a set of beliefs and practices that aims at improving the genetic
quality of the human population
• It aims to reduce human suffering by “breeding out” disease, disabilities
and undesirable characteristics from the human population
• Eugenics is the science of improving the human species by selectively
mating people with specific desirable hereditary traits. Early supporters of
eugenics believed people inherited mental illness, criminal tendencies and
even poverty, and that these conditions could be bred out of the gene
pool.
AIM-
 Reduce the frequency of hereditary diseases and disability in the

community as low as possible
 To reduce human suffering by “breeding out” disease, disabilities and
undesirable characteristics from the human population
Types:-
1) Negative eugenics
2) Positive eugenics
Negative eugenics:-
 Negative eugenics: improving the quality of the human race by
eliminating or excluding biologically inferior people from the population.
 This goal required severe restrictions on reproductive rights, for those
with "defects" had to be kept from reproducing, if necessary through the
forceful sterilization.
 Elderly and sick people killed under Hitlers policy of eugenics.
Positive eugenics:-
 It promotes marriage and breeding between people considered

"desirable", Eugenist may view certain persons as "undesirable", they will
not initiate in such practices as non-voluntary sterilization, genocide,
active euthanasia, or any other forms of violence.
 In fact, as these Eugenists say that, “the defective will always be with us,
since people with hereditary defects come from the general population,
from other defectives there is no logical way to get rid of them. By
promoting marriage and unions between Desirables, it may be possible to
increase the national even universal average in the course of four or so
generations”
HOUSING
 “Housing “in modern concept includes not only the physical structure
providing shelter but also the immediate surroundings and the related
community services and facilities.
 It may be defined as-” all places in which a group of people reside and
pursue their life goals; the size of settlement varies from a single family
to millions of people.
 The immediate surroundings of residential building are often referred as
neighbourhood
WHO expert group (1961) on public health aspects of housing prefers to use the
term, residential environment’
Social Goals of Housing-:
a) Shelter
b) Family Life
c) Access to community facilities
d) Family participation in community life
e) Economic Stability
Criteria for healthful housing-:
 Healthful housing provides physical protection and shelter

 Provides adequately for cooking, eating, washing, and excretory
functions
 Is designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner such as to
prevent the spread of communicable diseases
 Provides for protection from hazards of exposure to noise and pollution
 Is free from unsafe physical arrangements due to construction or
mantainance,and from toxic or harmful materials
Housing Standard-:
 Social and economic characteristics such as family income, family size

and composition, standard of living,lifestyle,stage in life cycle, education
and cultural factors are taken into account.
 Because of cultural diversity and other factors such as climate and social
traditions, standard of housing varies from country to country and from
region to region.
 In short-there cannot be rigid, uniform standards
 The standards in India are those recommended by the EHC(1947)
Site-: -
 Should be elevated from its surroundings

 should have an independent access to a street of adequate width
 should be away from breeding places of mosquito and flies
 Should be away from dust, smoke, smell, excessive noise, and traffic.
 should be in pleasant surrounding
 Soil should be dry and safe for founding the structure and should be well
drained.
Set Back-: -
 It is the open space all around the house which allows proper ventilation
and lightening –
 In rural areas it is recommended that the built-up area should not exceed
one third of total area.
 In urban areas it is allowed up to two-third of total area.
 The set- back should be such that there is no obstruction of lighting and
ventilation. - e.g.
Floor-: -
Should be Pucca and satisfy the following criteria-: -
 should be impermeable ,so that easy to clean and dry

 must be smooth and free from cracks and crevices to prevent the
breeding of insects and harbourage of dust
 it should be damp-proof
Walls-: -
 reasonably strong
 should have a low heat capacity
 weather resistance
 unsuitable for harbor of rats and vermin
Roof-:
 Should not be less than 10 feet (3 mtr) in the absence of air-conditioning

for comfort.
 should have a low heat transmittance co-efficient
Rooms-: -
 should not be less than two, atleast one of them can be closed for security
 the other may be open on one side if that side is a private courtyard
 No. should be increased as per the family members
Windows-:
 every living room should be provided with atleast 2 windows and one of
them should open directly on to an open space
 the windows should be placed at a height of more than 3 feet(1 m) above
the ground in living rooms
 windows area should be 1/5th of the floor area doors and windows
combined should have 2/5th the floor area.
Kitchen-: Must have a separate kitchen
 Must be protected against dust and smoke, adequately lighted, provided

with water supply, provided with a sink for washing utensils and fitted
with arrangements for proper drainage
Garbage and refuse-: Should be removed from the dwelling at least daily and
disposed of in a sanitary manner
Bathing and Washing-: house should have facility for bathing and washing
belonging exclusively to it and providing proper privacy
Water Supply-: House should have a safe and adequate water supply available
at all times.
Housing and Health –
Poor housing is associated with the following health conditions-:
 Respiratory Infection
 Skin infection
 Arthropods
 Accidents
 Morbidity and Mortality
 Psychological effects

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Module II

 Reduce the frequency of hereditary diseases and disability in the

 It promotes marriage and breeding between people considered

Social Goals of Housing-:

c) Access to community facilities

d) Family participation in community life

Criteria for healthful housing-:

 Healthful housing provides physical protection and shelter

 Social and economic characteristics such as family income, family size

 Should be elevated from its surroundings

Should be Pucca and satisfy the following criteria-: -

 should be impermeable ,so that easy to clean and dry

 Should not be less than 10 feet (3 mtr) in the absence of air-conditioning

Kitchen-: Must have a separate kitchen

 Must be protected against dust and smoke, adequately lighted, provided

Housing and Health –

Poor housing is associated with the following health conditions-:

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