“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,
Potter and Perry (2017) states, “Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health.” Health disparity is experienced by social disadvantaged populations. These vulnerable populations can include race or ethnicity, gender, education, income, disability, and geographic location (Potter & Perry, 2017, p. 33). The Banes family
The relationship between the determinants of health and health outcomes had been thoroughly studied. In policies or programs to reduce and prevent health disparities, factors that contribute to the rise in trends are called the determinants of social health. It is equally important to recognize that childhood is an important time in which interventions can have a significant impact on health outcomes throughout life. (Dubiel et al, 2010)
access to health, or living below poverty. However, there is a group of them that suffers
In today’s society, there is still a great struggle with health care disparities and many lives are affected by the lack of this fundamental program in our society. There are millions of people who die each year because they are unable to afford quality healthcare. The debate still continues about healthcare inequalities, what causes this disparity and who are affected by it. Health care is more of a necessity rather than a luxury and even though skeptics may argue to the latter, it only underlines the importance of the need for the wellbeing and care of individuals. There are several factors that could contribute to the lack of health care in the United States which ranges from but not limited to race, gender, socio- economic status, and lack of insurance coverage. The truth is there is a great disproportion between who can really afford quality healthcare as appose to individuals who have it. One would imagine that an employed individual would easily afford quality healthcare but we could be no further from the truth, since one’s economic status is an essential determinant to its affordability.
A key factor affecting access to care is economic inequality. Many racial/ethnic groups are considered to be of low socioeconomic status in the United States. When one has to worry about food and housing, health is not considered a priority. Lack of health insurance is a huge problem that many people face. The inequalities in income means less money can be put towards doctor’s visits and medications. Research done by Shi, LeBrun, Zhu, and Tsai (2011) shows
Socioeconomic Conditions – The text states it well that the connection between poverty and poor health is well-documented and undeniable. (Teitelbaum & Wilensky, 2017). Access to affordable health care is a challenge for those at the poverty level.
Studies show that people living in poverty face adverse living conditions which are associated with various ranges of health problems (Raphael, 2007). This means that people who live in poverty are more likely to suffer from chronic illness such as: coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and various form of cancers. As a result of poverty, individuals are more likely to have a lower life expectancy and higher mortality rate because of those facing numerous chronic illnesses. People living in poverty or in a low income bracket are more likely to be less healthy and have more medical conditions compared to their counterparts. As a result, they are more likely to be in the hospital more frequently with more complicated healthcare needs (Williamson, Stewart, Hayward, Letourneau, Makwarimba, Masuda, Rainee & Reutter, and Rootman & Wilson, 2006).
The barriers that stand in the way of maintaining a good health vary from one country to another. Moreover, within the same country these barriers vary depending on the socio-economic status of the individual. For individuals living in Canada, the main barrier to maintaining a good health is poverty. Even though poverty does not cause a disease directly, people living in poverty are lacking the resources to mitigate it. Poverty is a significant issue because it affects the health indirectly through the individual’s access to healthcare, housing and nutrition.
Healthcare disparities exist at higher rates among various ethnic backgrounds as well as individuals with disabilities. Although receiving good healthcare should be a privilege, statistics have shown that social determinants such as poor education, low income, limited access to quality care, as well as environmental factors have contributed to healthcare disparities. If society could improve barriers like health education, communication, and healthcare cost, quality healthcare could be successfully provided to every person.
Socioeconomic conditions of persons and the places where they live and work do strongly influence their health. In the United States, as elsewhere, the risk for mortality, morbidity, unhealthy behaviors, reduced access to health care and poor quality of care increases with decreasing socioeconomic circumstances (CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, 2011).
Social Economical status is one of the major risk factor to health and health care disparity. In the past few years the death rate in the United States has decreased but, there exists a widening gap between the death rates of blacks compared to whites (Japanese National Health, n.d.). It has been documented that people that are poor or not well educated have poorer health than rich people or well educated people. Social Economic status effects not only the individual but the entire family and community as a whole. If one is living in poverty they may not have the money to seek out appropriate medical care and they may rely on home remedies due to affordability. They may also wait until their condition has reached an emergency level and seek out care in the emergency
Individuals from low social class face many health problems as a result of the social level, they are not able to access to health care on permanent basis, and when they do access they have low quality. In addition to this, people from low social class, generally have low educational level, as a result of this people will
Income has a significant impact on a person’s health and well-being. According to an article titled “Where Health Disparities Begin: The Role of Social and Economic Determinants—And Why Current Policies May Make Matters Worse” by Steven H. Woolf and Paula Braveman, “US adults living in poverty are more than five times as likely to report being in fair or poor health as adults with incomes at least four times the federal poverty level” (Woolf & Braveman, 2011). Low-income people face many barriers to health care, which include lack of insurance coverage and unaffordable health care costs, resulting in poorer health and higher rates of death. Low-income people cannot afford the same health care as their wealthier counterparts, resulting in health
In modern medicine, the focus of many practices has deviated from their purpose. The field of medicine has become more of an enterprise generating income from individuals that cannot afford the expenses. The service provided to an individual is dictated by the socioeconomic status (SES) of that individual. According to various scholars, the term SES is defined as a tool utilized to measure an individual’s economic and social standing in comparison to others based on education, occupation, and income. When endeavoring to understand the health disparities that exist within and throughout the various SES, it is imperative to consider this question: what are the differences in medical access among individuals of a low SES and high SES? In the effort to highlight the disproportion, scholars have conducted numerous research studies underlining the disparities that dominate the medical field based on individual’s SES. As medicine continues to advance in a prosperous course, more and more societies are becoming deprived of an equitable medical service due to the price tag.