At Risk vs. Vulnerable Populations

This essay will offer the rational for selecting this particular group and critically discuss their vulnerability. This essay will also discuss the factors that relate to their vulnerability as well as the impact this has on their overall health and wellbeing. This will be followed by discussions of

The determinants of health are economic and social conditions that affect people’s health status. These influence the living and working conditions that impacts people’s everyday living condition. Factors such as the place and the environment we live in, genetics, educational level or work status and income, as well as friends and family are some of the aspects that affects our health condition. On the other hand, the people that have an access to good health care and have financial stability are less susceptible and are often less affected. (NANB, 2009)

Potter and Perry (2017) states, “Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health.” Health disparity is experienced by social disadvantaged populations. These vulnerable populations can include race or ethnicity, gender, education, income, disability, and geographic location (Potter & Perry, 2017, p. 33). The Banes family

Having a low income can lead to poor to health, because you won’t have access or opportunities for better health, such as safe homes, nutritious foods and good schools. “Income may not be the strongest risk factor for any particular disease or outcome, but it’s a risk factor for all of them.” (Krisberg, 2017)

Vulnerability is defined as susceptibility or increased risk for health problems (DeChesnay, 2008).  A group of individuals are considered at higher risk for illness when their physical, emotional, psychological, or social health, is compromised (Aday, 2001).  There are many leading causes for why a population is considered at higher risk; socioeconomic, age, gender, demographics, personal, and cultural backgrounds are some of the key factors (Aday, 2001; Sebation, 1996). Individuals can become vulnerable at any time because of change in life circumstances, placing them at higher risk. One group

access to health, or living below poverty. However, there is a group of them that suffers

Resilience, fundamentally, is the ability to bounce back from hardship and the phenomenon of overcoming stress or adversity, for example: personal crises, poverty, mental illness and trauma (Occupational Health & Wellbeing, 2012). This skill can help individuals overcome the most difficult of situations (Occupational Health & Wellbeing, 2012). Resilience theorists generally agree that the presence of protective factors can reduce the effects of exposure to adversity. The more protective factors (or “assets”) available, the more resilient a person will be. Protective factors are conditions or attributes that help people deal more effectively with stressful events and eliminate risk. On the contrary, risk factors are attributes or characteristics

In this assignment I will select a vulnerable population sub-group and consider how social science contributes to understanding the social problems encountered by this group. I will do this by firstly explaining and identifying and locating the chosen sub group within the broader societal context. Next by explaining why the chosen sub group is considered to be vulnerable with reference to relevant theory and research based evidence. Then I will be identifying and explaining the role of relevant agencies, both non-governmental organisations and governmental in relation to welfare provision for the chosen sub group. Finally I will discussing the role of social science in informing public health and welfare practice in relation to the chosen

Social Vulnerability refers to risk as its primary element (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). Every individual is exposed to risk factors therefore; everyone is potentially vulnerable to health problems (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). Social vulnerability consists of various economic, democratic, and cultural variables in relation to an individual’s likelihood of becoming ill (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). The degree of social vulnerability is that an individual experience is greatly reliant on their personal capacity to tolerate adverse influences (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). Each individual will have different strategies and abilities in coping, resisting, and recovering from situations that could result in social vulnerability (Scanlon & Lee, 2007).

Vulnerable population means a group of population that at greater risk of developing health problems due to their less awareness, availability, and access to needed resources to fulfill their healthy wellbeing requirements. Elderly population, pregnant women, homeless person, population with suicide or homicide prone behavior, substance abuser, persons living with infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, disable and chronically ill patients fall under vulnerable population group. “vulnerable populations are those with a greater than average risk of developing health problems by virtue of their marginalized sociocultural status, their limited access to economic resources or their personal characteristics such as age and gender”(Chesnay, M. &. Anderson, B. 2012). People with lower incomes and less education tend to be at higher risk for health problems.

These vulnerable populations according to Shi and Stevens (2005) experience disparities in access to care and have poorer health status than the population as a whole.

Health inequalities are preventable and unjust differences in health status experienced by certain population groups. People in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to experience health inequalities than people in higher socio-economic classes. Health inequalities are not only found between people of different

This essay will discuss ways in which a person’s socioeconomic class and his/her social situation can have an impact on his/her health, using examples. We believe that there is a direct link between socioeconomic/social class and health (Adler et al. 1994). I will be defining the key terms: socioeconomic and health, social class then proceed to discuss about how poverty, income, employability, environment and housing can impact on a person’s social situation and their health.

Financially speaking, vulnerability roots from inability or reduced capability to work and provide resources for themselves. Among the life stages, the elderly is one age group that belongs to the high risk groups to suffer financial helplessness and end up into poverty (Burkhauser and Duncan, 1987). The most significant factors that affect the financial state of the elderly are retirement and widowhood. The aforementioned factors are often unavoidable, thus, financial security is a big issue for the elderly.

Vulnerability represents the susceptibility of an individual or population to injury or “the degree of possible/potential loss to a given element at risk resulting from a given hazard at a given intensity”. For this discussion, vulnerability means the susceptibility of the population and environment to the type (nature) of the event. The degree of vulnerability depends upon the resilience of the society for the event. The resilience of the population/environment against the event is its pliability, flexibility, or elasticity to absorb the event. Resilience as is a counteracting component of vulnerability. Vulnerability = 1 - Resilience