Effects of Socioeconomic Class on the Health of Individuals - Essay Example

Effects of Socioeconomic on the health of individuals      Introduction An individual’s income, wealth, educational achievement, race and ethnicity, workplace and community can have profound effects on his health. This paper explores the effects of socioeconomic class on health outcomes. Key terms The term health inequality is used to describe disparities in well-being among members of the society. More precisely, the term is used to refer to systematic differences in health of groups occupying unequal positions in society especially socioeconomic groups (Liu, 2011, P.258). Socioeconomic position refers to an individuals place in the social hierarchies constructed around occupation, education and income. These three components of socioeconomic position influence an individual’s life chances and living standards. Each of them can act as a reference point when constructing hierarchical classification of socioeconomic position. For example, people can be classified based on skill level from unskilled manual jobs to professional jobs or from low income to high income (Liu, 2011, P.258). Occupation, educational achievement and income capture critical dimensions of people’s material and social endowment, and also act as substitute for other unmeasured progressions which profiles an individual’s health. In this respect, researchers aim to capture unmeasured factors, which vary in line with these three factors when they classify individuals or households using them. The common trend is that people in higher socioeconomic groups tend to have better health and fewer disabling conditions that those in lower groups. Health inequalities are evident from the beginning of life as exemplified by gradients in birth weight, which influence cognitive and physical development (Lu and Jonsson, 2007, P.267). Social economic status (SES) is often implicated as a cause of health disparities among different groups. It can be defined as the relative position of a household or an individual in a hierarchical society, based on their access to wealth, prestige and power. SES is related to health status and captures an individual’s or groups ability to access basic resources required to achieve and maintain good health (Lu and Jonsson, 2007, P.267). Effects of socioeconomic indicators on health outcomes There is a strong correlation between health outcomes and income, educational achievement, wealth, community environment and race or ethnicity. People with higher incomes, higher educational qualification and those who live in a healthy and safe environment have on average longer life expectancies and better health outcomes. On the other hand, those with low educational qualification, lower incomes, less accumulated wealth, and those living in poor neighborhoods or in substandard housing conditions have poor health outcomes. Lack of resources such as income and assets coupled with income inequality in the community contribute to poor health outcomes. Similarly, racial and ethnic minorities have worse health outcomes than whites in the mixed race communities (Lu and Jonsson, 2007, P.267). Social factors affect health outcomes both independently and interactively. For instance, people with high incomes can afford safe and healthy homes, live in good communities, and can afford high quality education. They can afford healthy foods and can spare time for physical activity. Those who are better off financially can afford health insurance and health care is more accessible with more monetary resources. Conversely, poor people live in substandard housing, lack access to outdoor recreational facilities, and their children end up with fewer years of formal education. Moreover, people from poor backgrounds are more likely to engage in risky health behavior like eating unhealthy foods and smoking. The poor also tend to experience greater levels of stress than the more affluent (Holsinger and Lawrence, 2013, P.42). Income Income is positively related to health outcome with increasing income corresponding to gains in health and health outcomes. However, the relationship between income and health is not linear as differences in income have the greatest impact at the lower end of the income scale while increases in income for the highest income groups have minimal gains in health. Income level determines a persons relative position in society which is related to the social and structural condition in which they live and the economic opportunities available to the person (Holsinger and Lawrence, 2013, P.42). Income level is associated with many indicators of health such as infant and adult mortality, morbidity, disability, health behaviors and access to health care. People living in poverty have the worst health while those in middle income have worse health outcomes than those with the highest income. Low income is associated with several factors that contribute to poor health outcomes such as risky health behavior, lower levels of education, substandard housing, food insecurity and lack of health insurance coverage (Holsinger and Lawrence, 2013, P.42). Effects of income on children’s health Poverty impacts children’s well being as it shapes health in childhood and influences opportunities for health in adult life. Infant mortality rates are higher for children born to low income mothers compared to high income mothers. Low income mothers are also more likely to have a low-birth weight baby which results in physical and mental impairment (Jansson, 2011, P.35). Economic deprivation and hardship in childhood significantly affect adult health with individuals who experience economic hardship in childhood having a higher risk of poor health in adulthood. For instance, children in poverty are more likely to experience nutritional deficiencies and poor nutrition in childhood and this has a lasting effect on health. Children from low income families are restricted in the opportunities for health through reduced access to good schools, healthy and safe living conditions, healthy food and health insurance. These factors coalesce to produce accumulated risk for poor health in the future. One study on the effect of childhood socioeconomic status on the risk factors for hypertension found that socioeconomic status was associated with 60% greater odds of hypertension in adulthood (Jansson, 2011, P.35). Effects of income on health of adults Individuals with higher incomes have longer life expectancy than people with lower incomes. Low income is associated with significantly higher mortality rates compared to higher incomes. Individuals with incomes of less than $10 000 of income annually have a 177% increased risk of premature death compared to people with incomes greater than $30 000. People with incomes between $10 000 and $29 000 have a 114% increased chance of premature death compared to those in the highest income group (SDH, 2009, P.4). Low income adults are more susceptible to chronic illnesses like diabetes and kidney disease than high income adults. Low income is also associated with higher prevalence of mental health and psychiatric conditions. Poor individuals are more likely to engage in certain risky health behaviors compared to the more affluent individuals. For instance, individuals with the lowest income have significantly higher prevalence of tobacco use, physical inactivity and lack of social support compared to higher income groups. Risky health behaviors increase chances of premature death and disability. Low income earners face more barriers to accessing health care and health care services. For example, in 2008, over 46% of all uninsured non-elderly in the UK were low income adults (SDH, 2009, P.4). Educational achievement Academic achievement and education are strongly correlated with health outcomes. Individuals with less education have more chronic health problems and shorter life expectancies than those with more education. Adults who dropped out of school are more exposed to poor or fair health than graduates. For instance, age adjusted mortality rates for high school dropouts of ages 25-64 is twice as large as the rate of college graduates. Dropouts are also more susceptible to acute and chronic health conditions such as hypertension, stroke and diabetes. College graduates live on average 5 years longer than high school dropouts (SDH, 2009, P.4). Maternal education is strongly linked to infant and child health. Infant mortality among mothers who drop out is twice the figure of infant mortalities for college graduates. Educated mothers are less likely to have low-birth weight infants, which is correlated with infant death in the first year of life, compared to women who dropped out. Part of the reason for this disparity is the fact that people with less education earn less than those with higher levels of education. Moreover, mothers with low educational achievement are more likely to engage in risky behavior, which can lead to worse health outcomes (Graham, 2004, P.7). Housing Unhealthy home environments are negatively associated with health outcomes. Poor quality housing is linked to infection, disease and other illnesses. For example, young children spend over 90% of their time in the home and may be exposed to risks associated with unhealthy home environments. Poor housing can also lead to unintentional injuries. Many falls, poisonings and fires or burns and related deaths and injuries occur at home. National estimates suggest that over 50% of all deaths due to falls, 25% of all poisoning deaths, and 90% of all fire or burn related deaths occur at home (Graham, 2004, P.7). Overcrowding eases the spread of certain infectious diseases including respiratory infections especially during epidemics. Low income earners are more likely to live in overcrowded conditions than higher income earners. Housing affordability is related to overcrowding. Low income households spend a large amount of their income on housing and are, therefore, left with less disposable income to spend on food, heating and other basic needs. Research evidence suggests that families that have difficulties paying rent or utilities have greater barriers to accessing health care (Graham, 2004, P.7). People with less income are forced by circumstances to live in overcrowded or substandard housing or in unsafe neighborhoods. In addition, people who struggle to pay their housing costs move more frequently with intermittent experiences of homelessness. Residential instability is linked to poor health outcomes among adolescents including behavioral and emotional problems, teen pregnancies, drug use, and increased depression (Graham, 2004, P.7). Conclusion Socioeconomic status is correlated to health outcomes. Social factors affect health outcomes both independently and interactively. In general, high income is associated with positive health outcomes but only up to middle level earners. Other socioeconomic factors such as education and housing when combined with the effects of low income coalesce to undermine health outcomes.   Bibliography: Graham, H. (2004). Socioeconomic Inequalities In Health In The Uk: Evidence On Patterns And Determinants. Accessed on 14th march 2013 from: http://disability- studies.leeds.ac.uk/files/library/graham-socioeconomic-inequalities.pdf. Holsinger, J. and Lawrence, D., (2013). Contemporary public health: principles, practice, and policy. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky. Jansson, B. (2011). Becoming an effective policy advocate: from policy practice to social justice. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Liu, W. (2011). Social class and classism in the helping professions: research, theory, and practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, Lu, M. and Jonsson, E. (2007). Financing Health Care: New Ideas for a Changing Society. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. SDH. (2009). Socioeconomic Determinants of Health. Accessed on 14th march 2013 from: http://www.nciom.org/wpcontent/uploads/NCIOM/projects/prevention/finalr eport/Prevention-Chpt11.pdf.     Read More