Cancer Biology Research Report

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (Kassandra, A., 2015), the issue of health disparities have impacted many people’s lives in the community where the minority groups do not have equal access to the quality health care. These

From this film, the key points that were mentioned about how socioeconomic backgrounds and race impact one’s health is something that is not as emphasized as it should be in the public eye. Especially how health and wealth are intertwined with each other is particularly frustrating since health should be a human right and people should receive the health they need regardless of their economic

In today’s society, there are many different factors that can contribute to one’s overall health and well-being. Since there are so many different factors that can affect one’s health, there are inequalities that exist among people and this is knows as health disparity. "Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States” (Nhlbi.nih.gov, 2015). Health disparities can be associated with factors such as: socioeconomic status, education, gender, race, ethnicity, age, mental health, and religion. There are certain health problems that can affect different groups more than others, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS (Surgeongeneral.gov, 2015). One example of a specific population in the United States that is affected by health disparities is the African American Population. While African Americans are affected by various health disparities, one that affects this population more prominently is heart disease.

The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity. For a country that was founded by individuals fleeing persecution, it has taken us many years to grant African-Americans equal rights, and even longer for those rights to be recognized. Despite all the effort to eliminate inequality in this country, health disparity among this minority group remains a significant issue. Research in this area has pointed to several key reasons for this gap that center on differences in culture, socioeconomics, and lack of health literacy.

Some researchers in the field of public health analysis have increasingly focused on how social determinants of health influence health outcomes and disparities (Clarke, C. E., Niederdeppe, J., & Lundell, H. C., 2012). They have also explored strategies for raising public awareness and mobilizing support for policies to address social determinants of health, with particular attention to narrative and image-based information Clarke, C. E., Niederdeppe, J., & Lundell, H. C., 2012). The relationship between the social determinants of health and health disparities has been well researched. In developing policies or programs to reduce and, ultimately, prevent health disparities, upstream contributing factors, known as the social determinants of health, must be taken into consideration when addressing such issues (Dubiel, H., Shupe, A., & Tolliver, R., 2010). Progress toward reducing health disparities will involve support for community-based strategies, enhanced the understanding of SDH, and increased diversity of the health-care workforce. The coordinated efforts to address disparities take into account strategies and actions that build on community infrastructure and an increasingly diverse and culturally competent workforce (Jackson, C. S., & Gracia, J. N., 2014). These efforts will need to overcome low public awareness and concern about social determinants of health; few organized campaigns; and limited descriptions of existing message content. The established relationships

Healthy People 2020 (2015) states, health disparities are a health outcome of greater or lesser extent between populations, which includes populations by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, education, income, or geographic location. The purpose of the post is to discuss how disparities play a role in health, employment, and education for African Americans. I will also discuss two nursing interventions to decrease health disparities in this population, as well as challenges to implementing the nursing interventions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Satcher (2010) reports that health inequities are “systematic, avoidable, and unjust” disparities (p. 6). He also states that the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that social conditions are the most important determinant of a person’s health. Social conditions “determine access to health services and influence lifestyle choices” (Satcher, 2010, p. 6). These determinants must be addressed in order to reduce health inequity. Inequity can be

People often interpret the word disparities as only having to do with race or ethnicity, however the term goes beyond that and includes sex, sexual identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location (“U.S. Department of Health,” 2011). The goal of Healthy People has changed over the decades, at first it was to reduce health disparities, then it was to eliminate disparities, and now for 2020 it is to achieve health equality, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups of people (“U.S. Department of Health,” 2011).

Socioeconomic status and gender is considered a cause of racial disparities in health since it constrains access to power, social and psychological resources, and economic capital. Those with low socioeconomic status and in segregated areas have less access to quality elementary and high school education since they normally have less qualified teachers, lower test scores, and fewer connections to colleges. These individuals also experience less employment opportunities because employers discriminate based on the residence of the job applicants since they view individuals in low-income areas as being drug users, having poor communication skills, low reading levels, and family issues. This leaves the residents in racially segregated neighborhoods jobless so they cannot increase their socioeconomic status (Takeuchi et al. 2010). The state of poverty is likely to continue for these individuals because they do not possess the necessary means to reduce their

While there is no clear definition of what health disparities are, Healthy People 2020 defines them as “differences that occur by gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation” (Adler, 2008). Health disparities are not determined by solely biological differences, but rather more attributed to the environment surrounding a person. The public health industry is so concerned about racial health disparities that stem from the social environment

The difference in health outcomes and the determinants between parts of a population caused by social, demographic, environmental and geographic characteristics is defined as health disparities (Dore & Eisenhardt,2015). Societal, economic, and political forces impact social determinants. (Dore & Eisenhardt, 2015) have indicated that health inequities are avoidable and preventable when appropriate actions are taken to lower the risk of illness.

“Health disparity: A higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one population group relative to another group” ("Disparities in Health," 2012, para. 7). There are many factors which contribute to the disparities in health among certain groups here in the United States. The low income populations seem to be at the greatest risk when it comes to health inequality. Whether this is due to lack of education, access to services, or even neighborhood safety, the divide between the higher income populations and that of lower income populations are growing at an alarming

In a article by the Annual Review of Anthropology, by Dressler, Oths, & Gavlee focused on race and ethnicity in public health research. Most of the research found that African Americans suffer the most health disparities compared to other ethnic/racial groups. The article stated health disparities as, “differences in morbidity, mortality, and access to health care among population groups defined by factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, residence, and race or ethnicity” (Dressler et. al 2005). The article went over different models that explained why African Americans suffered the most health disparities. In class, when we had the discussion panel, a lot of reasons and situations were mentioned as to how researchers and society can better

Cancer is a disease that can change the life of a person no matter their age or nationality. Cancer can range from being life threatening to a low risk of death. Cancer cells are cells that do not follow the regular cell growth and division pattern. They go through cell division and produce rapidly. Cancer cells differ from regulating cells in the body because normal cells eventually die. Cancer cells, on the other hand, do not die when they should causing it to be very hard to cure cancer in your body.

Director of the Center on Social Disparities in Health at the University of California, San Francisco