Sociology of health and illness
![Wall painting found in the tomb of an Egyptian official known as the physicians tomb](/Images/godic/202502/11/Akmanthor0258.jpg")
![Physician in Ancient Greece treating a patient 480–470 BC](/Images/godic/202502/11/Medicine_aryballos_Louvre_CA1989-21830258.jpg")
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![Estimation of the number of adults in Africa who are infected with HIV or AIDS. Note that levels of infection are much higher in sub-Saharan Africa.](/Images/godic/202502/11/Map-of-HIV-Prevalance-in-Africa0258.png")
The sociology of health and illness, alternatively the sociology of health and wellness, examines the interaction between society and health. The objective of this topic is to see how social life affects morbidity and mortality rate, and vice versa. This aspect of sociology differs from medical sociology in that this branch of sociology discusses health and illness in relation to social institutions such as family, employment, and school. The sociology of medicine limits its concern to the patient-practitioner relationship and the role of health professionals in society. The sociology of health and illness covers sociological pathology (causes of disease and illness), reasons for seeking particular types of medical aid, and patient compliance or noncompliance with medical regimes.