How Socioeconomic Statuses Plays On Health

Another U.S. study found that low availability of emotional support and low social participation were associated with all-cause mortality.

Socio-economic class or socio-economic status (SES) may refer to mixture of various factors such as poverty, occupation and environment. It is a way of measuring the standard and quality of life of individuals and families in society using social and economic factors that affect health and wellbeing ( Giddens and Sutton, 2013). Cockerham (2007 p75) argues: ‘Social class or socioeconomic status (SES) is the strongest predictor of health, disease causation and longevity in medical sociology.’ Research in the 1990s, (Drever and Whitehead, 1997) found out that people in higher SES are generally healthier, and live longer than those in lower SES.

“Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people have a greater amount of disadvantage and significantly more health problems than the non-Aboriginal & Torres strait Islander population in Australia”

These are a few potential links between social inequalities and the health of the population: income and wealth distribution, unemployment, the ageing society, gender and health, mental illness and suicide and disability and dysfunction. I am going to discuss each of these and see the health impact on people in each group.

emphasis was on relationships to family, group and country rather than the development of an

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

In the segment of Unnatural Causes, “In Sickness and in Wealth”, the documentary highlights the health disparity created by different socioeconomic statuses. There are several factors that lead to these health differences, including but not limited to policies or lack of policies, and racism. Unnatural Causes draws on several family stories to exemplify the wealth health gradient. Within the family anecdotes, I was most intrigued by the idea of health access. This concept is highlighted throughout the different life cases in the segment. However, it is not just limited to these individuals, communities, and time period. Although health access is considered a universal right, access is not equal among individuals in the US. Access to health is determined by an individuals’ wealth. This is exemplified by the poor health outcomes of those in low-income communities; whereas, individuals in higher income communities have better health outcomes.

Poverty and war are two social determinants of health that interact directly to shape an individuals life. Eldon Starlight in Richard Wagamese’s Medicine Walk can be identified as an alcoholic who struggles with mental injuries. Many social determinants of health impact Eldon’s health and quality of life, shaping who he is. As we examine the effects of poverty and war we come to understand their influences on Eldon’s life. Poverty and war can have permanently altering effects on an individual’s life.

Growing up in a refugee settlement and later in a low-income immigrant family with limited access to healthcare, I understand the importance of addressing the socioeconomic disparities in health. Whether it is organizing workshops on hygiene for Tibetan refugees in rural India or providing HIV testing and counseling to the local Asian LGBT community in the Twin Cities, I am driven to improve the health of vulnerable populations. In addition to the excellent medical education and early clinical exposure, what really draws me to Geisel School of Medicine is the Urban Health Scholars Program (UHS). As an Urban Health scholar, I look forward to exploring the intersection of race, refugee or immigrant status, LGBT identity and health. Given my strong

to genetics an ethnic group may be more prone to developing CVD. African American men and women are 30 percent more likely to die from CVD. Additionally, Native Americans have a 36 percent chance of dying from CVD before the age of 65 versus 17 percent in the overall US population (Lifestages.org, 2017). Additionally, diabetes a risk factor for the development of CVD is more prevalent in Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American populations.

Have you ever thought about your starting point? Have you ever thought about what kind of life you were born into? Have you ever thought about where you would be in life if you were born into a household belonging to a different social class? These are the types of questions one must consider when discussing the lower classes and the fact that they are less active and therefore less healthy than the middle to upper classes. With that being said, it is debatable as to whom to blame for this problem in our society. Although many believe that lower class people have only themselves to blame for this fact, I believe that their health is based off of societal contributors that are largely out of the control of the individual. Within this essay, I will prove why our system is unfair by looking into different case studies that provide evidence as to why lower class people suffer as a result of the social determinants of health.

In the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it is quite obvious that millions of people are not able to enjoy the benefits of our gross domestic product or national income. Health is one of the aspects that remain stagnant. Various people with different ethnicities face many of the same health risks, but they also have fears unique to their racial, ethnic, cultural upbringings. To gain an understanding of these modifications and formulation of appropriate responses requires an individual to study more in depth their surroundings. Disparities in access to health care or in the quality of services within existing health care delivery systems require interventions that are social, economic, environmental, or occupational. Some investigators have examined concerns related to stigma, social support, lack of a home, and poor cultural understanding by providers. Along with a plethora of researchers who have lots of knowledge on this issue, I wanted to further investigate how socioeconomic factors have a huge mark on race and health disparities in the United States.

The issue of inequality in healthcare has been a major issue in American society for many years now. This issue has mainly affected minority groups in American society and has been going on in America for as long as there have been views about differences among races and ethnicity groups. The idea of health disparity has become more of a priority for top politicians and have been a constant topic of conversation in recent years. Current ideas about diversity have been identified by a difference in socioeconomic status, which is determined by a variety of things. The socioeconomic status is usually measured by a combination of a person’s social and economic status in a society which are two separate entities that have been joined together to accurate measure the where a person stands in society. The social aspect of a person’s socioeconomic status is measured based off a person’s level of education, occupation, authority, or their standing within their community. The economic aspect of a person’s socioeconomic status is measured by the monetary amount gained through employment and ownership of a home and property assets. The main categories of socioeconomic status in American society are upper, middle, and lower

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.

The aim of this essay is to examine the influence that socio-economic status has on an individual’s health.