How has Disadvantage influenced the lives of those you encountered in your MiC Attachments - Essay Example

Name Course Institution Date Disadvantage is a Multifactorial State of being with Diverse Impacts of Individuals, Families, and Communities. How has Disadvantage influenced the lives of those you encountered in your MiC Attachments? Introduction Community disadvantage results from the interaction between the features of the individuals within a community (for instance job, level of education, drug abuse and alcohol use) as well as the impact of the societal and environmental situation where the individuals are (for instance location impacts or neighborhood impacts like poor social networking, unfavorable role modeling, along with comparable lack of opportunities.6 Disadvantaged people are not able access to the equivalent tools found valuable to the majority of societal members and these tools consist of self-sufficiency, incentive, responsibility, self-worth, community support, health facilities, education, information, work, capital, in addition to, receptive support structures. A key aspect of “being disadvantaged” is the existence of “obstacles to self-reliance” and these barriers include lack or inadequate resources, inability to access resources, the opinion other societal members have for a group, government and business practices, and specific circumstances of the disadvantaged group.6 This essay highlights how disadvantage has influenced the lives of individuals and community members encountered during MiC attachments and the entire society at large. Community Centre and Claymore Community Centre are some of the areas with most disadvantaged population but the regions generally represent the disadvantage status of all communities living in Greater Western Sydney. 9 indicates that Greater Western Sydney Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) extremely disadvantaged. Equally, the most disadvantaged regions in Greater Western Sydney are the ones that have highest incidence of risk behaviors especially higher rates reduced physical activities, a high number of smokers and obese and chronic ailments mainly circulatory, respiratory, along with musculoskeletal system ailments.9 Communities living Tallowood Community Centre and Claymore Community Centre are among the most disadvantaged communities within Greater Western Sydney and hence the communities face these health problems. This argument is supported by National Health Survey (NHS) where the report indicated among the long-term health diseases that disadvantaged people experience includes cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, depression and respiratory diseases (where asthma is included). Additionally, the report indicated that the people who are disadvantaged reported higher visits to hospitals, although they less used preventative services such as dental services.3 For all the families and communities in Greater Western Sydney as represented by living Tallowood Community Centre and Claymore Community Centre, the social determinants affect health of these people either directly or by constraining the choices available for the people. For instance, the level of economic resources due to unemployment impacts the families and community members’ capability to afford food and this affects their nutrition. Likewise, social connectedness and active participation within communities plays a protective role within mental health.8 Inaccessibility to healthcare is another aspect of disadvantaged individuals in Greater Western Sydney. The people experience difficulties in accessing healthcare when they need it. This observation is supported by 8 whose statistics indicated that a significantly higher percentage of adults in Greater Western Sydney (32.2%) experienced difficulties in receiving healthcare when they needed it.8 Lack of education is another aspect of these communities. Basically, education is an important aspect in improving health and welfare of disadvantaged groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group is one of the disadvantaged group in Greater Western Sydney and 2004–05 NATSIHS results indicated that better education is allied to improved health among the group.3 The educated individuals reported better health and lower levels of stress. Similarly, educated individuals had a lower likelihood of smoking, overindulging in alcohol and were more physically active. 3 Additionally, the communities also face unemployment. Just like education, employment has an effect on health status and this is true for residents in Greater Western Sydney. Research indicates that lack of employment can have major health implications. Poor health and disability have been linked to unemployment. For instance, findings from the 2004–05 NATSIHS indicate unemployed individuals were more likely smoke, engage in alcohol abuse, were overweight and had either cardiac or respiratory problems than employed individuals.3 The communities also have poor housing conditions. Basically, overcrowded hoses and poor-quality housing are allied to poor physical and mental health among the dwellers. Most of the disadvantaged individuals in Greater Western Sydney live within overcrowded houses and the houses were not up to the Australian standards for housing, safe drinking water and sufficient disposal of waste. Notably, historical data indicates that most people in Western Sydney households base their choice of housing on affordability and not the dwelling type.4 In 2009, statistics indicated that there was a significantly higher percentage of individuals in Greater Western Sydney who were smokers.9 Smoking results to health problems such as respiratory diseases, lung cancer, coronary heart disease and such. Additionally, smoking in pregnant women is a risk factor for health problems like miscarrying and smoking is also connected to poor outcomes like poor fetal development, pre-mature birth, low birth weight, and congenital deformities.1 In 2009, a considerably higher percentage of adults within the Greater Western Area Health Service had existing doctor-diagnosed asthma in comparison to the overall adult population within NSW and this indicates that the people in Greater Western Sydney are more susceptible to respiratory diseases, which is a common aspect among the disadvantaged groups. Likewise, 8.2% of adults were diagnosed with diabetes or high blood glucose and in general diabetes or high blood glucose increased with socioeconomic disadvantage. 9 The roles community agencies play in health and well-being of the community include addressing the level of social disadvantage faced by the Greater Western Sydney residents. Numerous residents experience various levels of disadvantage that include unemployment, drug/alcohol abuse, low levels of education, low income levels, in addition to lack of skilled occupations. The community agencies for instance establish rehabilitation centers that provide important drug and alcohol rehabilitations to the people within the region. Similarly, issues like access to employment opportunities are a major challenge in Greater Western Sydney and the community agencies tackle this by seeking ways to provide sustainable local employment and economic opportunities. Long-term employment necessitates access to skills training and learning through educational institutions and thus community agencies are handling this by providing residents especially young people within the region links to TAFE and tertiary education; outreach services to surrounding communities; local employment agencies and programs; and business networks.8 Trough this, unemployment issues are tackled because unemployment is disadvantage that affects health because job security increases health, wellbeing whereas higher rates of unemployment results to more diseases and early death. Studies indicate that job insecurity increase adverse impact on the mental health, heart ailments as well as risk factors for heart disease such as hypertension.9 Additionally, the community agencies within the community provide the residents with educational services that promote healthy living. For instance, there are agencies promote a food culture for health and educate individuals regarding nutrition and health eating habits. Physical exercises are also encouraged. For example, Campbell town city, the obesity levels are 47 percent and smoking rate s very high as compared to NSW and thus education people to adopt better lifestyles such as quitting smoking is paramount for the community members.8 There are also issues allied anti-social behaviors, drug/alcohol use, child safety and youth issues within the region. Individuals and communities do not feel secure and safe within their own homes and public areas and this can result to stress and social isolation. Numerous areas are also not maintained well and are prone to vandalism and rubbish dumping, as well as poor demarcation between public and private areas. Community members, especially the new ones face stress as a result of lack of local supportive networks. These stresses are interconnected to other major health determinants like social gradient, addiction and social exclusion. Supportive networks are created when individuals within the community get to know each other, their neighbors and feel that they belong to the community. Community programs like welcome programs, community events as well as community groups offer a foundation for developing community unity and community networks. Additionally, identifiable physical infrastructure and open space can help in developing a sense of community and thus the community agencies encourage individuals to take advantage of these lifestyle attributes to develop closer links between community members.7 Studies indicate that life expectancy is shorter and incidence of diseases is higher to the disadvantaged group within societies where disadvantage can be in different forms and might be absolute or relative. Low income, low level of education, lack of employment and residing within poor housing can impact health greatly. “Societies that enable all citizens to play a full and useful role in the social, economic and cultural life of their society will be healthier than those where people face insecurity, exclusion and deprivation”.8 Additionally, evidence show that disadvantaged groups/individuals have: lower life expectancy; pre-mature deaths; high number of diseases; more behavioral risk factors for poor health and wellbeing, and generally poor health. The relationship between “disadvantaged condition” and health starts at birth and goes on throughout the life, although stringency of the relationship differs at various stages of life. Being disadvantaged implies having economic and social inequalities and all the two have the strong effects and thus their joint impact can lead to limited opportunities and life chances individuals experiencing them. For the disadvantaged, factors that affect health encompass: inaccessibility to good quality healthcare; individual aspects like drug and alcohol abuse, stress, poor nutrition; environmental aspects like air pollution, poor housing, congestion and social environments like neighborhoods, employment, conflicts, and violence and prejudice.1 The individuals and groups who are not disadvantaged are able to access resources, opportunities effectively and can make various choices in their lives, while on the other hand the disadvantaged group and individuals have less of these. As a result a “social gradient” is formed where the health and welfare tend to deteriorate with every set up of the socioeconomic ladder and therefore individuals with lower income tend to have poorer health and shorter lives. Results of 2007–08 National Health Survey (NHS) indicated that individuals who are disadvantaged by the level of their low socioeconomic status have a higher likelihood of smoking, have less physical exercises and are overweight. Basically, these are risk factors for numerous health ailments like respiratory diseases, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.2 Conclusion Health and well-being is influenced by many closely related factors like education, employment, access to resources, and such. The groups or individuals who have inadequate or lack these factors are normally disadvantaged. In the long run, these are the factors that cause many health inequalities and generally disadvantaged community members have shorter life expectancy, have higher rates of diseases, disability and higher mortality rate when compared to groups that are advantaged. The essay has provided evidence that disadvantaged status has a relation to both poor health and higher levels of risk factors like smoking, poor eating habits and overweight. The community agencies in the disadvantaged areas play a role of reduced the gap in life expectancy by improving the health social determinants among the disadvantaged groups, like providing them with job and educational opportunities, promoting better healthy lifestyles and improved housing. References 1. AIHW, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2008 report: detailed analyses. Cat. No IHW 22, Canberra: AIHW; 2009a. 2. AIHW, Heart, stroke and vascular diseases—Australian facts 2004. Cardiovascular disease series no. 22. Cat. no. CVD 27, Canberra: AIHW & National Heart Foundation of Australia; 2004. 3. Australia’s Health, Whose Health, How Population Groups Vary, NSW: Australia’s Health; 2010. 4. Housing NSW, Local Government Housing Kit, NSW: Housing NSW; 2009.NSW Department of Health, New South Wales 5. Population Health Survey, Summary Report on Adult Health, North Sydney NSW: NSW Department of Health, 2009. 6. Price-Robertson R, What is community disadvantage? Understanding the issues, overcoming the problem, Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies; 2011. 7. Wilkinson, M, Social; Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts, Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003. 8. Heather Nesbitt Planning, Social Sustainability for Menangle Park, Campbell town: Landcom and Campbell town City Council, 2010. 9. Wentwest LTD, Western Sydney Population Health and Workforce Needs Assessment Summary, Blacktown NSW: Wentwest LTD; 2010. Read More