Economic Determinants of Health - Essay Example

Economic Determinants of Health Health is wealth as often said, because medication is very expensive, especially now a day that everything is becoming more expensive than before. This belief becomes more relevant today as various diseases, which origin and medication is usually unknown, are plaguing the world. Currently, we have the AN1H1 virus. Unfortunately, medication gets more expensive as the disease becomes more deadly. For instance, for anyone to undergo treatment against cancer or HIV/AIDS, would cost him/her a fortune. The antidote to this is also an old saying: “An ounce of precaution is worth than a thousand cure.” However, health is not just about being sick, as most people see it. Generally, health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization 1). As the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion stressed: “Health is … a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities” (1). It is “the ability to realize hopes, satisfy needs, change or cope with life experiences and participate fully in society” (Sheridan 31). With these, health becomes “one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition” (WHO 1). But reality check would painfully tell us that this is not so, because as the social ladder differentiates the social status of social groupings, so it does to health… “the more advantaged our lives are, the longer we live and the healthier we are from birth to old age. People who grow up on the bottom (of the social ladder) die younger and are sicker throughout their lifetimes than those who are born to the rungs above them” (The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network 4). Generally, people believe health is shaped by man’s genetic heritage (Davis, par.1) or biological make-up, largely missing the greater part of the equation that health is actually influenced by varied important factors such as the “physical environment, health practices and coping skills… health care service and the social economic environment (the social conditions, or the social determinants of health) in which people live their daily lives… further discussed…” (Sheridan 31) below as follows: Social and Economic Environment: Interactions with families, friends, co-workers and others that shape everyday experiences in neighborhoods, communities, and institutions (such as schools, the workplace, places of worship, government agencies, etc.). This means that individual and community socioeconomic factors; social norms, social support and community connectedness; employment and working conditions; living conditions; and culture, religion, and ethnicity shape health. The social and economic environment of a community is created by the individual and combined actions of its members and is unique because of social norms and cultural customs. Physical Environment: The safety, quality and sustainability of the environment, which provides basic necessities such as food, water, air, and sunshine; materials for shelter, clothing and industry; and opportunities for recreation. Health Practices and Coping Skills: Individual health-promoting and health-compromising attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, and the ways in which people cope with stress. Health Care Services: Access to and quality of health services to promote health and prevent and treat disease and other threats to health. (Ibid) Although it may be true that “while medical care can prolong survival and improve prognosis after some serious diseases, more important for the health of the population as a whole are the social and economic conditions that make people ill and in need of medical care in the first place” (Wilkinson & Marmot 7). In the final analysis, health is determined greatly by an individual’s position in the social ladder as determined by his/her socio-economic status (Davis, par.1), which is by his/her job or occupation, literacy or education, resources or income and other determiners or indices of social class (“Health Factsheet,” 1). Health is closely related to socio-economic status (SES) because SES determines the capacity of an individual thus it could have an intense impact on one’s ability to access health care as well as nutrition and other basic needs and lifestyle choices closely associated with finances and education (Boskey, par.1). Poor Income means Poor Health Poverty and health are directly related (Kim, Geistfeld, & Seiling 1) – the lower the income a person has, the poorer his/her health is (O’Dea & Howden-Chapman, qtd. in King 12). According to the 1998 Report of the National Health Committee of New Zealand, “Children from poor families have higher rates of illness, injury and death than other children.” To which other studies conformed: “There was an approximately two-fold higher all-cause mortality rate among the lowest compared with the highest socio-economic categories of equivalised household income” (King 12). This in fact is true even in the richest countries (Wilkinson & Marmot 7) where income is considerably larger. In the United States, for instance, “premature death is more than twice as likely for middle income Americans as for those at the top of the income ladder” (The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network 6). Furthermore, it was reported that more likely, low-income families would experience the following: Newborn health problems like premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects. Signs of future disease like high blood pressure, obesity, weakened immune system. Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and many forms of cancer. Infectious diseases ranging from HIV/AIDS to the common flu. Disabilities like blindness, mental illness and decline of physical strength. (Ibid 7) Job Security makes Good Health Job security does not only result to job satisfaction but even improves the person’s health and well-being. As Sheridan observed: “Workers are healthiest when they believe that their jobs are secure, when they feel that the work they do is important and valued, when the workplace is safe and there are ample opportunities for control over their work life including decision-making, advancement and personal growth” (32). Conversely, unemployment or joblessness increases health risk. Higher rates of unemployment cause more illness and premature death… Unemployment puts health at risk, and the risk is higher in regions where unemployment is widespread. Evidence from a number of countries shows that, even after allowing for other factors, unemployed people and their families suffer a substantially increased risk of premature death. The health effects of unemployment are linked to both its psychological consequences and the financial problems it brings – especially debts. (Wilkinson & Marmot 20) In addition, the so-called non-physical job or work stressors: ‘excessive work load, shift work, low control, threats of pay cuts or job loss, and conflicts between family obligations and work demands’ are also identified as significant contributors to physical and mental ill health. And since these poor working conditions are more likely to occur at the bottom of the job ladder, it follows therefore that those at greater risk are again the poorer workers (The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network 21) – the miners, the factory workers, the construction workers, etc. A specific case in point: “rates of chronic diseases in workers paid by the hour at a large aluminum company are typically 1.5 to 3 times higher than in salaried workers” (Ibid). While, researchers conducted in the United Kingdom discovered that “workers who are at the mercy of others all day long, who have few options for controlling the pace of their jobs and limited opportunities for exercising judgment experience depression, excessive absenteeism and premature death, even when they face no physical hazards” (21). Better Education leads to Better Health “The association between education and health is well established and is robust across health conditions and outcomes” (Schillinger et al. 246). “Individuals with better education tend to be healthier and to behave more healthily” (Brunello et al. 1). Thus, the more health literate a person is, the better health decisions and actions he/she can make. “Health literacy… (is the) individual’s ability to perform basic reading and numerical tasks required to optimally function in the health care environment… more broadly… the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and service needed to make appropriate health decisions” (Ibid). A study of a low-income population with diabetes showed that “literacy could mediate the effects of education on glycemic control through a number of mechanisms. Individuals with inadequate literacy have been shown to have problems with both written and oral forms of communication in the clinical context” (251). Moreover, “recent studies indicate that years of formal schooling are strongly correlated with health outcomes such as mortality and self-reported health. Additional years of schooling also appear to have an effect on health behaviours such as smoking” (Borgonovi & Miyamoto 12) Conclusion Health is wealth not because medication is expensive, but more importantly because a wealthy nation is created by healthy people. In fact, most governments spend much for public health to ensure a healthy nation. The toll for public health becomes greater as more people are living below the social ladder. Because as reality check shows, the poorer one is the less healthier one can be, as socio-economic status greatly determines one’s capacity to avail better medication, to consume nutritious foods, to attain a healthier environment, to experience a healthier working condition, to acquire higher level of education that in turn enables one to be health literate. Health is wealth because healthy people are more productive than ailing ones. So to invest in good health would positively contribute to the progress of the nation. However, since the socio-economic status is the greater health determinant, then to improve the health condition of the nation should begin with the alleviation of the socio-economic conditions of the people. This would mean equitable education and employment opportunities, accessible and equitable public health care, and a positive environment. Health is wealth because health means life. Every cent spent on health means life; every endeavour intended for the improvement of health would positively improve people’s health condition. As the WHO promotes, health is not simply about being sick but the condition to live safely, happily and satisfactorily as a human being. Cited Works Borgonovi, Francesca and Miyamoto, Koji. “An inquiry into the relationship between education and health and social capital.” Social Capital Global Netwrok II – Workshop on Social Capital and Health. Paris. OECD. 11 October 2008 Boskey, Elizabeth. “Socioeconomic Status (SES).” About.com Health’s Disease and Condition. 6 February 2009 < http://std.about.com/od/glossary/g/sesgloss.htm> Brunello, Giorgio, Fabbri, Daniele and Fort, Margherita. Health-Education Gradient in Europe. Davis, Rochelle. “Examining the Socio-economic Determinants of Health.” Healthy Schools Campaign. 21 May 2008 “Health Fact Sheet: Socio-economic factors and COPD.” Met Office. UK. 2006 < http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/health/features/copd/Socio-economic_factors_and_COPD.pdf> Kim, Eun-Jin, Geistfeld, Loren V. and Seiling, Sharon B. “The Disenfranchised Poor: Rural Low-Income Women and Health Care Decisions.” Consumer Interests Annual. Vol. 49. 2003 < http://www.consumerinterests.org/files/public/DisenfranchisedPoor_03.pdf> King, Julian. “Economic Determinants of Health: Final Report (A Report to the Public Health Advisory Committee).” Evidence Review. New Zealand: Health Outcomes International Pty Ltd. August 2003. National Health Committee. The Social, Cultural and Economic Determinants of Health in New Zealand: Action to Improve Health. National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability, Wellington. 1998. O’Dea, D. and Howden-Chapman, P. “Income and Income Inequality and Health.” In Howden-Chapman, P. and Tobias, M. (Eds.). Social Inequalities in Health. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Health. 1999. Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. First International Conference on Health Promotion. Ottawa. WHO/HPR/HEP/95.1. 21 November 1986 Schillinger, Dean, Barton, Lauren R., Karter, Andrew J., Wang, Frances, and Adler, Nancy. “Does literacy mediate the relationship between education and health outcomes? A study of a low-income population with diabetes.” Public Health Reports. Vol. 121, p. 245-254. May-June 2006 < http://www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/121_3/121245.pdf> Sheridan, Linda. “Social and Economic Determinants of Health.” The Report of HIA on the Greater London Authority draft economic development strategy. 14 June 2009 The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network. Reaching for a Healthier Life: Facts on the Socioeconomic Status and Health in the US. Wilkinson, Richard and Marmot, Michael (eds.). “Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts, 2nd Edition.” World Health Organization – Europe. WHO Library. ISBN 92 890 13710 World Health Organization. Basic Documents, Forty-fifth Edition, Supplement. October 2006 Read More