The Dr. Patricia Canning Memorial Lecture
The Dr. Patricia Canning Memorial Lecture will be held on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, 7 p.m. at Memorial University, St. John's Campus in the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation, Room IIC-2001. Free parking is available in Lot 17. Reception to follow.
Title: Health Inequality in Children and Youth and the Wealth of Nations
Speaker: Dr. Frank Elgar, Institute for Health and Social Policy and Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada Research Chair in Social Inequality in Child Health (Tier II)
Abstract: The odds that a child is healthy, happy and doing well in school all progressively improve as social class rises. This social pattern tracks strongly into adulthood and defines health inequities throughout life. In Canada, there are five- to ten-fold differences in the rates of some illnesses and a 10-year gap in life expectancy across socioeconomic conditions. Internationally, child and youth health varies depending on economic wealth and inequality. Using research on poverty, inequality, bullying, and corporal punishment, this talk examines the social and moral implications of health inequality in early-life, policy choices that shape opportunities to be healthy, and potential consequences of inaction.
Bio: Frank Elgar grew up in Woody Point, Newfoundland and received BA and MSc degrees in psychology from Memorial University and PhD in psychology from Dalhousie University. He worked in university and government settings in Canada and the UK, including the Cardiff Institute for Society, Health and Ethics, Welsh Assembly Government, University of Manitoba and Carleton University. He is presently an associate professor of psychiatry at McGill University’s Institute for Health and Social Policy and holds a Canada Research Chair in Social Inequalities in Child Health. His research examines threats to adolescent health and well-being, focusing on poverty, violence, inequality, and food security.