Socioeconomic Status and Health Care Essays

According to the dictionary, the word health is “the state of being free from illness.” At a first glance, this defination seems to be very direct and simple, however the meaning of the word ‘health’ nowadays is much more complex. The above definition pretty much sums up our view of health in the first half of the 20th century.

Widening economic inequality in the United States is being accompanied by increasing health care disparity. While the health care system seeks to provide health care as a human right, it fails to do so often worsening the disparities (Dickman, Himmelstein, & Woolhandler, 2017). While health care today has made major strides, there are many people who are still suffering from health care system injustices. Of the people who are still uninsured a majority of them are in the middle-working class or those living in poverty. Poor Americans have less access to health care than wealthy Americans. The life expectancy gap between the rich and poor continues to widen. Health care in poor communities is too often neglected. This issue has been a trend in the United States for many years. In Abraham’s book, Mama might be better off dead these very same inequalities are evident for the Banes family. Because of these inequalities, preventive illness becomes life threatening causing care to then become extensive and even more expensive.

Healthcare plays a crucial part in our lives. Health disparities “phrase references black-white differences as well health disadvantages characteristic of other ethnic groups “of color,” such as Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans” (Coreil, 2010 p. 167). Many socio-ecological factors that contribute to the existence of health disparities when it comes immunizations. An individual ability to have access to health care, insurance status, income level, provider and patient knowledge have a significant impact on vaccination rates.

Social class, culture, and ethnicity all impact a patient and their family’s health. Although all three of these components are an important aspect of health, if I could only assess one it would be social class. A family’s social class is the most important aspect of a nurse’s assessment, because it impacts the family’s ability to obtain proper care. According to Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), social class is the grouping of persons with similar social status, income, lifestyle, and living conditions (p. 222). Socioeconomic status influences a family’s ability to obtain necessary resources that are imperative in maintaining their physical and mental health status, thus solidifying the correlation between health and social class (Friedman et al., 2003 p.222).

Socioeconomic status (a measurement of income, education, and occupation) measures an individual's social standing in society. Low socioeconomic status is often linked to a depravity of essential material resources and heightened psychological stress variables. The importance of researching the effects is underlined by its association to a number of adverse health effects and the increasing prevalence of poverty within many countries in the world. Recent studies have investigated the possible effects on the biological mechanisms by examining the differences in epigenetic patterns between individuals with variability in socioeconomic status. Although there have been limited studies conducted on this area, research has determined that the status of socioeconomic often has a significant impact on methylation, with an increase or decrease in certain sections of the genome depending on the region in question.

Describe and evaluate inequalities in access to healthcare in Britain The following essay will describe and evaluate how inequalities in accessing health care are evident in Britain. This will include an explanation regarding the current health care system in Britain, how and where to access healthcare and what difficulties leading to inequality people in Britain face. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948) Health means different things to different people.

Health insurance is a result of socioeconomic status that must be looked at by health care providers. Low socioeconomic status individuals usually cannot afford privatized health care insurance. If they can afford health insurance, it is commonly public insurance such as; Medicare and Medicaid. However, public health insurance is rarely accepted by physicians because privatized health insurance is more reliable. This means that less educated individuals have less access to health care based on if they carry insurance, or the type of health insurance they carry. Similarly, poorer people must travel farther than wealthier folks to get medical attention. Low SES individuals are less likely to get care until serious conditions arise because it is not of adequate access or affordability. However, low socioeconomic status areas that do have near by clinics and accept public health insurance are overcrowded. This is a major risk for the health care field because the spread of disease in an overcrowded clinic lowers the health of society. Socioeconomic status includes education levels, occupational status, and social class which all attribute to the effects of poverty, the overall health of society, health care accessibility, and health insurance affordability.

The Behavioural or Cultural Explanation: places emphasis on the individuals and the consequences of their behaviour, when they choose to eat, drink and live healthily the inequalities will be reduced.

We know that socioeconomic status is connected to the quality of healthcare and access to the same. Higher the socioeconomic status, better the quality and easier access to healthcare. But why? Simply because socioeconomic factors are social determinants. These factors not only influence or access to healthcare but also the provider's behavior which in a way influences the quality the care.

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

Social hierarchy and conditions within a community has a direct impact on the health and wellness of the people that reside within the boundaries of that city. Major contributors to the welfare of a neighborhood include but are not limited to: the area in which they live, their social standing within the population and the income of the individual or family. Each factor has a severe influence on the life expectancy of the peoples within the society.

Income also plays a huge role in one’s social status and the ability to achieve better health outcomes. Health disparities are brought on more by the inability to provide or maintine a healthy life style. Those who live in a low social economic class are force to gamble with their health by not being able to attend regular healthcare check-ups and pay for monthly perscriptions. Whereas in the high economic class they are more proactive and knowledgable and have the means to take better care of themselves.

Visiting the doctor has never been viewed as an enjoyable experience for clients. It is likely considered to be a necessary evil, something that must be done but is not pleasantly anticipated. Making the encounter between health care professional and client both helpful and therapeutic can be a challenge. This is especially true for those whose financial situation is precarious, meaning, one pay check away from being homeless. So not only does the client arrive for their scheduled appointment with the normal anxiety visiting the doctor brings; added to this is fear of a serious diagnosis, and the stress of finding the funds to pay for medical services, medications, and any follow-up visits that may be required. The extra expenses will

Issues of inequality and poor healthcare, while are arguably equal in importance to the livelihood of human beings, differ in the tractability for change.

Substantial evidence is increasing, giving the Minister of Health more reason to believe housing, income, employment and education, abbreviated as the socioeconomic determinants of health, are to some degree responsible for poor health and inequalities (Public Health Advisory Committee PHAC, 2004). The purpose of this assignment is to discuss these four determinants and how they impact health from the Public Health Advisory Committee’s perspective. Employment and housing will be discussed in further detail as well as government policies, strategies or legislations will be included. To conclude this assignment a brief reflection will be made as to why understanding the socioeconomic determinants have a connection with providing quality