Inequalities in health and illness

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing, and not just the absence of disease” (WHO, 1974). Health inequalities are the differences in health or healthcare opportunities in different societies this may be due to income,

There has always been a link between social class and health, even with the welfare state and the improvements made to health in all sections of societies over the years, a difference still remains in this area. This difference is applied to all aspects of health, which include life expectancy, general levels of health and infant mortality. Many people argue that as long as the quality of life is

healthcare system (Elchoufani, 2018). Attaining a good health is the ultimate goal for all people and the overall population, so it is important that people study the interactions between race, gender, and socioeconomic status in this matter (ASPPH, n.d.). People in communities with lower socioeconomic status typically encounter fewer options for healthy food and a lack of health education as well as health care. All in all, studying minority health allows us to find methods in making health care more accessible for under-resourced populations, along with determining methods out services and resources can be dispersed to the populations which are more prone to certain illnesses (ASPPH, n.d.). The studying which results in better methods all benefit towards guiding the U.S. population to overall health

There are considerable health inequalities amongst Britain’s social classes. Health is formed by socio-economic, political and environmental factors; these elements shape inequalities and influence the health of various social groups in Britain.

What factors do you think contribute to the disparities in health among ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender groups in your country?

Although it is intuitive to hypothesize that disparities in health arise because of socioeconomic differences between racial groups, studies often find that racial disparities persist even after accounting socioeconomic factors. Ethnicity is highly correlated with residential location, with minorities and whites often living segregated from one another. Differential residential location comes with differential exposure to health risks.

Health and social class have always been closely linked. Recent research has shown that the gap between social classes is not only widening in terms of annual income but also in terms of health. Social class affects a person's physical health, longevity, and ability and access to appropriate nutrition and medical care. People who have received more education and have a higher income are less likely to have and die of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. While individuals of lower social-economic class tend to experience more health issues, they have less access to healthcare of appropriate quality compared to individuals of higher social-economic classes. This is because there are higher health risk factors

According to numerous studies, the disparities that exist among minorities not only affect individual lives but impact society as well. In other words, bad health care for socioeconomically challenged minorities ensues poorer health for civilization. Notably, understanding minorities and the way their status affects the health care they receive results in enhanced health for society as a whole.

Racial inequality in health are everywhere amongst various and different individuals. For example, racial inequalities can be obesity, diabetes, heart disease and many more. These there are different types and forms of racial inequalities. For instance, one of the most common diseases that hs racial inequalities in society is obesity. Some people that have different health statuses that from social influences and inequalities other causes such as biological factors, stress, environment and etc.

In any society in the world today health disparities are constantly being encountered. Health disparity is a term used for disease and mortality as it commonly refers to differences in groups of people, races, cultures, societies, economic class, educational levels, etc. Generally, health disparities are compared with more advanced countries and what those cultures have and how other cultures are behind and living without any advancement. Health disparities have been around since the world first evolved, but now those studies have been further researched. In consideration of the evolving research, health disparity is now sometimes referred to as health inequality due to the diverse levels of advancement, medical care, and education that various cultures receive. There are now a vast variety of resources available to conduct research on any said subject involving health disparities in general. Anyone can find a disparity in any subject; it just depends on what side of the spectrum each individual falls on.

“The demonstration of a social gradient of health predicts that reducing inequality itself has health benefits for all, not simply for the impoverished or deprived minorities within populations.” (Devitt, Hall & Tsey 2001)

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

The Artefact Explanation: the inequalities debate sees ill health as a biological entity, which differs between social classes.

The black report found that people of a lower social class are less likely to use health services and screening such as visiting the dentist, immunisation, family planning and antenatal care. Going to see a doctor is a more “middle class” thing to do and people who are in a lower class have a more “toughen up” attitude towards being ill. Middle and upper class people tend to spend longer with the doctors as they “speak” the same language they maybe more educated to understand the scientific terminology that the doctor uses. Lower class people may feel their lifestyles will be judged by health professionals and looked down upon, this leads to ill health left untreated and will cause it to get worse. Often poverty stricken people never get the help they need and die from an illness that could have been cured if it was treated. This leads to shorter life expectancy’s and more cases illnesses amongst the

Rowlingson (2011) agrees with Wilkinson and Pickett that there is indeed a strong correlation between income and health and social problems. In her report she includes the ‘Marmot Review’ (Marmot, 2010) which shows evidence that people living in England in the poorest areas compared to those living in the richest will, on average, die 7 years earlier. This suggests a clear link between class and health. The report further notes other additional factors, such as infant mortality, and mental and physical well being go hand in hand with inequality.