Social Inequality and Health

February 24, 2024 

Health can be impacted by more than our genetic makeup and other biological processes; gender and ethnicity can affect our health. The social determinants majorly affect health. Education, occupation, and income can positively or negatively affect our health. Social class or socioeconomic position is a significant determinant of health. While it has been proven that smoking and drinking alcohol are bad for our health, as well as not exercising and eating non-nutritious foods, other behaviors can affect us even if we are not the ones doing it. Our government and policies can affect us. As well as the actions of the people around us. Not having a supportive community of friends and family can also be detrimental. Thinking of the environment is more than living in areas of pollution or unsafe drinking water. The quality of our working environment or school, our clothing, and the overall quality of living conditions can affect our mental and physical health. 

Many social inequalities affect people’s daily lives and also their health.  “Several socio-contextual risk factors, eg, poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, lack of health-care access, insecure housing, racial segregation, health insurance, etc., could have considerable negative impacts on the current public health crisis as well as COVID-19 outcomes” (Brakefield et al. 2022). During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it was proven once more that social inequalities, as well as social determinants, affect health. The effects of poverty were showcased during COVID-19 as Black and Hispanic houses had the lowest income compared to other races, and American Indian communities experienced poor running water, crowded living conditions, and lack of access to proper health care (Brakefield et al. 2022). Access to healthy food was also limited during Covid-19. There was a link between food insecurity, racial discrimination, and social class within marginalized communities. Within these communities, there is a lack of healthy foods and green vegetables that increase access to high-density fast-food establishments (Brakefield et al., 2022). One study looked at the effects of low-income homes. “In terms of mental health, the lower income group was significantly more likely to score above the threshold on depression and anxiety measures” (Hall et al., 2022). Covid-19 affected the nation in so many ways. It was hopefully a wake-up call for the public and, more importantly, policymakers that the social determinants of health are affected by social inequalities. 

Reference

Brakefield, W. S., Olusanya, O. A., White, B., & Shaban-Nejad, A. (2022). Social Determinants and Indicators of COVID-19 Among Marginalized Communities: A Scientific Review and Call to Action for Pandemic Response and Recovery. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 17, e193. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2022.104 

Lauren R. Hall, Katherine Sanchez, Briget da Graca, Monica M. Bennett, Mark Powers, and Ann Marie Warren. Income Differences and COVID-19: Impact on Daily Life and Mental Health. Population Health Management. Jun 2022.384-391. http://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2021.0214