Factors that Influence Human Development HHG4M

Human Development is influenced by many factors: Social Political Environmental Economic

Social Factors Elements of society that can positively or negatively affect the growth and development of a child. Examples include: Social Status Media Illiteracy Religion Child Abandonment

Economic Factors Economic refers to money, in it’s most basic definition. Therefore, economic factors are money-related factors that can positively or negatively affect the growth and development of a child. Examples include: Poverty Note that poverty is related to many other factors, including drug and alcohol use, poor nutrition, poor access to health care, etc.

Environmental Factors Elements of the world around us (our environment) that can positively or negatively affect the growth and development of a child. Examples include: Poor Nutrition Low Birth Weight Alcohol Use/Abuse Drug Use/Abuse Smoking Chemical Exposure Pollution

Political Factors Elements related to government policy and its administrative practices that can positively or negatively affect the growth and development of a child. Examples include: Health Care Education Environmental Protections

Important to Note: A factor may at once be environmental, social, political and economic. For example, if a mother is born in a less-developed country, and is of lower social status (social), she will likely have less access to pre-natal health care (political). The mother may not know about healthy nutrition during pregnancy (social), or may not have access to healthy foods (economic). The fetus may then not have adequate nutrition to grow normally (environmental). This can result in low birth weight. Therefore, low birth weight could be a result of any of the four factors.