Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic status is a predictive measure of health that has been widely used in the literature (Kroenke, 2008). It

To begin, a person’s socioeconomic status can affect their health. People with low socioeconomic status can have a difficult time affording necessities, such as

Socioeconomic status (SES) encompasses amount of income and wealth, level of educational obtainment, type of occupation. It is usually a predicator of many physical and psychological health outcomes and is linked to a variety of health problems, such as low birthweight, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. There is a well-established and researched correlation between high SES leading to better health outcomes and that lower SES results in poorer health outcomes. SES does directly affect health, but rather serves as a proxy for other determinants by establishing and maintaining inequality through differential exposures to conditions that have a more immediate impact on health (i.e. environmental exposures, behavior/lifestyle choices, stress, health care, etc.).

It is well documented that lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with worse health among adults(Adler, Boyce, Chesney, Folkman, & Syme, n.d.) and adolescents.(Finkelstein, Kubzansky, & Goodman, 2006; Goodman, 1999; Starfield B, Riley AW, Witt WP, Robertson, 2002) Objective measures of SES such as level of education, income, and occupation are the most common methodology used in health literature to describe socioeconomic-based health disparities.(Shavers VL, 2007) However, subjective social status (SSS) is also a relevant predictor of health, independent of SES. (Adler NE, Epel ES, Castellazzo G, & Ickovics, 2000; Aneshensel CS, Sucoff, 1996) Indeed, there is a small but growing body of literature about people’s perceptions of

These links relate to how people of high economic status have more resources for the betterment of their own health, such as access to the highest form of health care. They can afford to see specialists of many forms: Chiropractors, counsellors, and other expensive health based supports. “Income is a well-established health determinant—people with lower incomes tend to experience less favorable health outcomes, including poorer self-rated health, higher prevalence of disease, and decreased life expectancy, than do people with higher incomes. Income influences health most directly through access to material resources such as better-quality food and shelter. Low income in childhood can affect health trajectories into adulthood.

Socioeconomic Status is where a particular person or group of people stand in regards to social class. The main measurement that determines one's socioeconomic status is level of education, occupation and income. Although it may not be considered a factor in child development, socioeconomic status can actually play a huge role in determining what kind of adolescent a child develops into. It can influence a child’s morals, self-esteem, grades and many more aspects of a child's life. Socioeconomic status can play a role in determining where a person resides, the occupation they end up getting, their education and their income as well. So, although one’s socioeconomic status is technically made up of these aspects, one can be born into a low socioeconomic status which could result in them continuing to have one throughout their life. It is a cycle that one must break in order to change the outcome. Low socioeconomic status can result in child poverty. Child poverty over the years has risen and fallen but has remained consistently apparent in America. Child poverty can have detrimental effects on developing children and adolescents. It may influence the way they are raised, taught, cared for and many more aspects of the child's life which are important for successful development. Low socioeconomic status can determine how well children and adolescents develop and the type of person they develop into, including

Lower socioeconomic status has the greatest negative impact on the individual’s health. Individuals with a lower socioeconomic status are likely to not be highly educated,

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

In this case, socioeconomic factors, especially education and income, are key contributors to poor nutrition and lifestyle behaviors. Greg Critser points out studies which show that the effects of socioeconomic status on disparities are stronger than those of race and ethnicity . Regardless of which characteristic might be a stronger contributor to diet-related disparities, the significance of socioeconomic factors cannot be exaggerated. For example, level of education impacts knowledge of dietary recommendations and skills to make healthy food choices , while income influences whether a person have access to healthier foods at a price they can afford. When people move from middle to low socioeconomic status food choices shift toward cheaper, but more energy-dense foods. Low socioeconomic status leads to consuming high calorie food and avoiding physical

In general, individuals with higher socioeconomic status have better health, hence, lower mortality rate. “Individuals who occupy the lower ranks in the social and economic hierarchies… experience worse health status and higher levels of mortalities” (Palloni & Yonker, 2014, p. 15). Socioeconomic status encompasses the individual’s education, income and occupation. All of those factors can have an impact on an individual’s health. Families with higher income can provide greater quality food choices, have good healthcare, afford living in a safe

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.

Socioeconomic status is a major determinate of health even more than race or gender. (Umberson 150) For example, when the middle class families have to work two jobs and living in a community that not safe would decrease the risk of illness. The biological reaction is a stress and this is happening “when we feel threatened or do not have control in our lives” ( 24) When individual have chronical stress all the time as the one in the people in the poor communities, the high risk of illness would be dangerous. “The accumulation of stressors or the

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

People who are poorer are, in general, less able to have access to fresh, healthy vegetables and low-fat meats, causing them to rely upon cheaper, sugary carbohydrates as their main source of nutrition. They have less access to places where it is safe to exercise, and less leisure time in which to engage in healthy, active pursuits. A recent national study in the US confirmed that "body mass index (or BMI, an indicator of excess body fat) was higher every year between 1986 and 2002 among adults in the lowest income group and the lowest education group than among those in the highest income and education groups, respectively" and "wages were inversely related to BMI

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)