The Impact Of Community Health

Communities are sometimes largely unaware that social factors rather than medical ones, such as income, and employment status, shape our health. Our health is also determined by the health and social services we receive, and our ability to attain high education levels, food and safe housing, among other factors.

Browne and Bottril (1999) did some research on class and health and came out with some findings in relation to unemployment and employment. They found out that;

These disparities are obvious in some key measures of wellbeing including life expectancy, the risk for disease, and access to health care (Disparities in Health, 2015). Historically, the major factors contributing to shorter longevity and high rates of disease are overcrowding, poor sanitation and low availability of treatment facilities. However, the change of theses socioeconomic

First, there is Jim Taylor, Hospital CEO, District 16; second, Tondra Young, Clinical Lab Supervisor, District 24; lastly, Corey Anderson, Floor Technician, District 21. The population of each district decreases in average income, education level and life expectancy than its preceding district, beginning with district 16, Jim Taylor’s district. District 16 has an average combined household income of approximately $120,000/ annually. In this district, 65% of the population has a college degree and the life expectancy in this district is 82 years. Whereas, Tondra Young’s district, district 24, has an average combined household income of $70,000/annually and 15% of the population has a college degree. The life expectancy of district 24 is 75 years, that’s 7 years less than district 16. In district 21, Corey Anderson’s district, the average combined household income is less than $50,000/ annually and only 5% of the districts population have college degrees. Consequently, the life expectancy of district 21 is 70 years, 5 years less than district 24 and 12 years less than district 16 (Adelman 2008). The results of this study are indisputable: there is an obvious correlation between social/economic status and health status. As each districts average income and education level decrease, average life expectancy coincides. This leads to the next question: why does social and economic status so greatly influence health status?

Another influence on life expectancy in the United States is preventative health measures. Typically education, income level, geographic location (in a city versus in the country or closer to medical assistance versus less access to medical assistance) and race are major factors on life expectancy. People who live in poverty have poor health, typically from malnutrition, stress and possible exposure to elements such as physical abuse, alcoholism, inadequate or nonexistent housing and drug addictions. Weight is an important factor in affecting health. Being underweight is unhealthy but so is being overweight. Unfortunately, 54.7% of all American adults are overweight and 19.5% are obese. Poverty also plays a factor, as 28.7% of women in poverty are considered to be overweight and 21.7% of men compared to 13.7% of women and 17.7% of men in higher income groups. Interestingly, women are 49.5% more likely than men to be a healthy weight. Only 36.3% of men are estimated to be at a healthy weight. (Tischler 2007). This is a factor in heart disease in men and a possible influence in their higher risk factor at a younger age. Americans with higher education level and more income also tend to have better access to

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

A community health assessment is a fundamental instrument of public health practice. Its objective is to depict the health of the community, by presenting information on health standing, community health needs, resources, and epidemiologic and other studies of present local health problems. It seeks to recognize target populations that may be at augmented risk of poor health results and to increase a better understanding of their needs, as well as evaluates the larger community surroundings and how it relate to the health of people. It also identifies those areas where better information is desired, particularly information on health differences amid different subpopulations, quality of health care, and the incidence and severity of disabilities in the population. The Community Health Assessment is the foundation for all local public health development, giving the local health component the instance to recognize and network with key community leaders, businesses and concerned residents about health priorities and concerns. This information shapes the foundation of improving the health status of the community by way of a strategic plan (The Municipal Public Health Services Plan Community Health Assessment Guidance and Format, n.d.).

Merriam-Webster defines Public Health as “The art and science dealing with the protection and improvement of community health by organized community effort and including preventive medicine and sanitary and social science” (Merriam-Webster). Throughout recent history, factors that have seriously threatened human safety whether it be disease, genocide, pollutants, or plague, have been identified as public health concerns by various governments and organizations. These situations are remedied by creating a solution to correct the source of the problem. For example, finding the cure to a fatal disease or shutting down factories that create environmental toxins. One of the most under-recognized public health emergencies in the United States is the violence caused by firearms, and the source of this violence is unregulated gun ownership. The high percentage of gun ownership among American citizens and the amount of injury and death that is associated with it constitutes a public health emergency in The United States of America, which constantly, consistently, and gravely endangers the American people; this violence must be controlled.

The range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status are known as determinants of health. Social determinants of health reflect the social factors and physical conditions of the environment in which people are born, live, learn, play, work, and age. According to Florida Public Health, Heart disease was the second leading cause of death in 2012, accounting for41, 643 deaths. The heart disease age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 populations decreased between 1990 and 2012 from 286.5 to 155.3. Heart disease was the leading cause of death among individuals 85 years or older, accounting for 30.0percent of deaths in this age group.

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.

There are many factors that are connected together to affect an individual’s health. There are several broad categories that factor in the determinants of health such as, policymaking, health services, gender, income, social status, social factors, health services, individual behavior, biology and genetics. Determining health exceeds the borders of health care and public health sectors, areas such as education, transportation, agriculture, environment, and housing can help improve health. Policies such as increasing taxes on cigarettes can help decrease the amount of smokers. The higher one’s income, social status and their education, the better their health is. The greater a person’s support system the more they use their healthcare access

“Healthy individuals cannot survive when society is sick.” On the other hand, aspects of social structure influence health and illness. Social factors not only affect life expectancy, but the possibilities the one will experience diseases and in turn, the health care that they will receive.

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

Research has shown the links between unemployment and higher morbidity and mortality rates( Mathers and Schofield) where health outcomes are poorer and premature deaths are

“Obesity is a condition that is associated with having excess of body fat, genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting.” Also, obesity is one of the leading cause of death in mortality, and mobility. According to World Health Organization, “health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” Health has two categories, personal health and community health. “Personal health is the decision that one makes that affects their own health while community health is for a population or a group of people to protect their health rather than an individual.” Based on how personal and community health are defined, obesity is developed because of a person food choice. To add on that, if there are no many resources in the community to get healthy foods, it might lead a person to eat unhealthy foods that are convenient to them. However, in the lecture we learned five determinants of health which are physical environment, built environment, social environment, access to health services, and individual behavior, biology, and genetics. First, individual behavior, biology and genetics has an impact on a person to have obesity. “Genetic factor contributes small to obesity risk and those who have obesity genes do not become over weight.” Second, built environment plays a big role in an individual everyday life. For example, “a person might not choose to bike or walk to the store because there