In chapter 2, of Essentials of the U.S Health Care System, Shi and Singh both talk about focusing on determinants to improve health. Having adequate health insurance for everyone is a great start to improving one’s health, but the bigger issue is addressing the needs of the people who have low income or the needs for different ethnic groups. In the documentaries, Bad Sugar, Becoming American, Collateral Damage and In Sickness and In Wealth, they all touched on social determinants. It did not matter if you lived in the United States, a third world country or a reservation, they all expressed a need the can better their health. The biggest need which they all discussed was food and the lack there of. Different cultural groups are coming to America
the growing concern about the quality of food in America the government took action to
Wilkinson, R. M. (2003). Social determinants of health - the solid facts. [S.l.]: World Health Organization.
Although authors Canning & Bowser wrote the article “Investing in Health to Improve the Wellbeing of the Disadvantaged” to oppose Marmot’s article “The Marmot Review,” their above quote also debate points raised by other public health researchers such as Brunner and Krieger. The quote states that the health disparities from different populations results from lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare. This is partially true, but as the analyses of Marmot & Brunner and Krieger suggest, social exclusion due to race and economic status, the population’s work and childhood environment, in addition to other social factors, lead to problems in the medical care system (Marmot 3). In other words, health gradient is not only an indication of health systems failing but is also a result
Socioeconomic status can limit access to healthcare in many ways. Several Americans do not have the means to receive healthcare although it is readily available to the entire population. A person’s social status, urban community and financial background can all have an impact as to how access to healthcare is achieved. While there are many factors that limit access to healthcare, I will discuss how these particular factors play a role with accessing healthcare services. Why do low income individuals tend to have high risk factors that result in poor health outcomes? What are some of the factors that determine better health outcomes? These are some of the questions that come up when trying to understand the influence of health outcomes. An individual’s socioeconomic status can alter their healthcare choices and status based on education, income, surroundings and/or occupation levels.
Wilkinson, R.G. & Marmot, M.G. 2003, Social determinants of health: the solid facts, World Health Organization.
...health and their life expectancy is also higher than black, poor, and/or unemployment people since there are no accumulation of stresses, and they have enough resources to control their daily stress. To solve this problem, based on the documentary series, reduction of the gap between poor and rich people should be considered by educational long-term investment (providing free college education), making life better for families with young children, and eliminating racism (California Newsreel, 2008). In my opinion, the health insurance system should be controlled by the U.S. government, like the health insurance system in Europe, so everyone will have health insurance with an acceptable price.
Health inequality is part of American life, intertwined and entangled with other social problems; gaps in income, education, age, race and gender. Gaps that social analysts cannot say for sure which factors are cause and which are effect. The unclear outcome is a huge chicken-and-egg puzzle, its solution reaching beyond health care. Because of that, everyday realities often control whether people live in health or in illness, to a ripe old age or early death. Clearly, poverty affects some groups more than others. The relationships between social class and general well being are persistent and troublesome; even in the twenty first century, life looks different for those belonging to upper and middle social classes compared to the lower social classes (Parsons 1942: 7).
Even in the most prosperous countries, people who are less affluent have considerably shorter life expectancies and much more sicknesses than people who are wealthy. Social determinants are considered to be the circumstances in the places where people dwell, gain knowledge of life situations, where someone’s job is, where we have fun, and age which is also included as a social determinant. These social determinants have an effect on a wide array of health risks and outcomes. “These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources at global, national, and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities--the unfair and avoidable
The individuals that are part of the special population each carry a unique set of needs. The best way to complete such a task is applying non prejudice judgments. Also, the poor is more susceptible to having a part time job and or working for a smaller organization which in turn leads to unable to pay for health coverage. Many Americans will opt out of insurance because of the cost or some employers simple do not offer insurance. The United States at this point is trying to resolve the complex challenges that is rising in health care. Accessing health care resources is furthermost essential contribution factor for ethnic disparities in health. Reduced access to care is in part caused by difficulties within the minority’s
“Health inequalities based on SES can be reduced by instituting health interventions that automatically benefit individuals irrespective of their own resources or behaviors” (Link & Phelan & Tehranifar, 2010). With regards to that interfering where the inequitable health disparities are in communities will decrease the disadvantages that individuals deal with. Many people in The United States of America believe that there are equal opportunities for everyone regarding health, but this is un-true. For example, people with a lower income are at a disadvantage, because of their lack of access to healthier food choices or better health care services. It is well known that healthier, fresh, and organic foods are costlier than their fast-food counterparts.
These conditions have been referred to as the social determinants of health. There has been a strong push amongst policy to study the non-medical health as opposed to the traditional way of thinking with regards to medical treatments or lifestyle choices (Mikkonen, Raphael 2010). Income and income distribution is thought to be the most important of the social determinants of health because it further influences other social determinants of health. For example, low-income families live under awful conditions which makes it very difficult for families to be able to afford the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and housing (Kekkonen, Raphael 2010). Studies have shown that suicide rates and the onset of many diseases such as diabetes and heart disease is significantly more prevalent amongst low income families and people. This is why people from around all world need to support families and people living in such awful conditions. 663 million people - 1 in 10 - lack access to safe water, and globally, 1/3 of all schools lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation. These numbers could easily decrease if countries such as the US and people like us take a stand and help. People living in impoverished countries often die from curable diseases. Diseases such as Malaria and Trachoma. In 2013 an estimated 198
Woolf, S. & Braveman, P., 2011. ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: Where Health Disparities Begin: The Role Of Social And Economic Determinants—And Why Current Policies May Make Matters Worse. Health Aff, 30(10).
It is the first point contact with health services, it make possible entry to the rest of the health care system for those people who need it. Other developed nations have attained universal and fair access to primary health services, some of them directly provided and others through assurance of financial coverage for visits (van Doorslaer, Koolman, and Jones 2004). In the United States, socially disadvantaged populations are more likely than advantaged population to lack a regular source of healthcare. The beneficial impact of health insurance in the United States is largely to ease access to primary care (Starfield and Shi 2004; Lillie Blanton and Hoffman 2005). In the deficiency of health insurance, socially disadvantaged population groups are less likely...
According to a new paper in the journal Health Affairs, 38.2% of the poorest third of Americans reported a fair or poor health, compared to only 12.3% of the richest third. This income-based disparity in healthcare is one of the worst ones when compared to 11 similar countries, including Britain, France, and Norway (Khazan). The health of the financially challenged is the central indicator for progress as, "the test for our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little" (Roosevelt). A healthy population is key to the progress of the entire country as a good health is the most important possession one can
In my opinion, in order to deal with our nations issue with disease and illness we need to first address the chronic poverty seen across the United States. In this article by Leatherman it is explained that the impacts poverty has on an individual’s health also are catalysts for the disease as stated in the PowerPoint “Ecology of Disease, Ethnomedicine, and The Social Construction of Illness. Which makes sense because poverty ridden families are more likely to eat foods low in nutrients, have a gym membership, proper hygiene and less probability of receiving the proper health care and yearly