Race, Class, and the Social Determinants of Health

Why are higher income and social status associated with better health? If it were just a matter of the poorest and lowest status groups having poor health, the explanation could be things like poor living conditions. But the effect occurs all across the socio-economic spectrum. Considerable research indicates that the degree of control people have over life circumstances,

In addition, they endure more stressful family and work conditions which can lead to unhealthy lifestyle characteristics, such as excessive use of alcohol and may…(reword) poor nutrition” (19). In other words, the more prestige/power one has within society, the better their chances are of living longer. Scott’s article Life at the Top in America Isn’t Just Better, It’s Longer; provided many examples that showed the inequality between the classes. For example, Jean Miele’s case; he had a heart attack and because of his social class—and connections established through his status—he was surrounded by two knowledgeable colleagues that knew something was seriously wrong with Miele, therefore; immediately calling an ambulance. In addition, because of the neighborhood Miele was in during the heart attack he was given a choice of where we was to go to receive medical care; within minutes of arriving at the chosen hospital, he was in line for an angioplasty to unclog the affected artery. After the heart attach Miele entered a cardiac rehab which was covered through his insurance. As Scott showed in her article, Miele never once considered the amount this operation cost or the price for his cardiac rehab treatment.

The article, Life at the Top in America Isn’t Just Better, It’s Longer, written by Janny Scott gives insight detail about three people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It is the conscious truth that money can enhance a individuals way of life and this is what is happening in the readings. According to the author, “Upper-middle- class Americans live longer and in better health than middle- class Americans, who live longer and better than those at the bottom. And the gaps are widening, say people who have re- searched social factors in health (page 29)”. The highly educated are more indeed to learn about health information and take advantage of the latest health treatments available. It is revealed that factors such as stress, diet, family structure, and even class status can affect and individuals health over a period of time. It is surely a concrete fact that if someone is from a higher sociological status in society, then they have access to better healthcare options in difference to those in struggling class statuses.

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”

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

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

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

Social determinants of health inequity reflect deeper social divisions, which generate multiple risks that are reproduced over time. Hierarchies of power must be critiqued through the lenses of class and race to make tangible the seemingly abstract connections between social and economic determinants and distribution of health inequity. Racism finds refuge in various forms of material exploitation; narrow interventions that fail to address the root causes that undermine the health and well-being of members of the community will ultimately fail.1 The treatment of Mexican immigrants with tuberculosis (TB) by health officials in Los Angeles from 1914 to 1940 is a telling story that made salient the insidious impact of poverty and race on health, and it provides an important lesson for public health officials.

As the appointed Director of the World’s Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health, I have the opportunity to examine the relationship between race and health inequalities. Race is a significant predictor of the distribution of health inequalities as it is quite notable that people with similar biological traits seem to experience a non-random distribution of morbidity and mortality. There are various underlying factors of health inequalities in relation to race. This report will focus on the scientific misconception of racism, the consequences of colonization and environmental injustice.

This year being an election year means that the American people are confronted with many issues and disparities that plague our nation. One of these hot button topics is that of healthcare. The United States is the only developed nation without a universal healthcare system, but spends the most for health services. With so many Americans lacking the adequate care needed or facing bankruptcy due to piling medical bills, one must look at the health disparities that are causing this super power nation to inadequately serve its citizens.

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.

While it may not always make sense morally or in any way, your social status does play a part in your health and longevity. Someone who is living on the streets does not have the same access to health care as, say, a wealthy lawyer. That lawyer's status and wealth can afford him much better care than that of someone on the streets or even someone working a minimum wage job with a modest life. Same goes for racial minorities. Those groups do not have access to what a majority group does and therefore, can not afford or reap the benefits of health care that can prolong their lives. It's truly a sad reality in today's world. I do think that someone of higher status can be assumed to live longer and healthier than someone who cannot reach modern

Once could say that upper status could lead to a person living longer because they are treated differently when they get medical care. I experienced this first hand as someone I know worked and had really good insurance when they went to a specialist because they were injured they got top notch treatment. Due to the injury the person lost their job, insurance and had to get Medicaid. The person went to that same specialist and now with State funded insurance and the doctor treated this person so differently and the care wasn’t even close as to the previous encounter with that same

I agree that the socioeconomic status affects individual health. While some diseases can happen unexpectedly to anyone such as cancer and heart disease, the outcome is dramatically different. The survival rate of cancer and heart disease for upper class is significantly higher than the middle class and the underclass, because upper class can get the timely better treatment. When it comes to some infectious diseases, we can see more different consequences among different classes. Minorities, who live in urban areas, would be more likely affected by AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and Malaria than those whites. The living environment decides individual healthy condition. People who are considered as underclass usually live in the community