When people think of the term health most of the time people think of it in terms of the physical aspect. But, really the term health is made up from several different terms such as class, race, gender, education, and income which can all affect a person 's health in many different ways. A person 's health can be affected positively and negatively because of different social determinants. Different scholarly articles and books have taken an approach in tackling the topic of health. They each help the reader determine whether or not an individual controls their bodies and their health. Throughout researching the topic, I 've come to the conclusion that individuals tend to not have control of their bodies and health more-so than having control. …show more content…
As time goes by, a person must care for themselves. As a child begins to grow up their health can be affected by their families race economic status, and even a person 's gender. Since a person cannot control what economic class they are born into, it can cause hardships in regards to an economic standard. Cockerham (p.94) explains how racial inequalities in the United States can effect a person 's health. Some ethnicities such as Asians, are known for having great health and life expectancies, where as African Americans may experience many health issues and have shorter life spans. White Americans and Black Americans life span are different because African Americans are known for having disadvantages with health issues such as AIDS, cancer, and heart disease. On average a typical white man will live to be 76.5 years of age, where as a man of color will typically live to be 71.8. A family of color is usually below the poverty line because of disadvantages in the work force, poor housing, and a poor school district which can lead to a lifetime of health issues (Cockerham, p. …show more content…
Mirowsky and Ross explain how health “increases effective agency” and also helps build “habits, skills, resources, and abilities” that helps a person improve their lives (Mirowksy and Ross, 2010: pg. 33). An example of this statement would be how a student cannot control what school they go to at a young age and who their teach might be. This is easier for a student when the reach adulthood and plan to continue their education to choose these types of things. Ways that a student can control their education at a young age is how hard they work and if they engage in after school activities. By doing activities and trying your best in school, a young person can enrich their study habits which is a skill that can be used later in life. When skills are mastered, a child can have a sense of “personal control” and “healthy lifestyles” which can be used for a lifetime to become problem solvers and be “active and effective agents in their lives” (pg. 35). Personal control is helpful when a person receives a formal education because it helps them learn about “investments in human capital” which can be used in the work force as an adult (p. 34). Human capital is gained when an a individual of population has the skills and knowledge to attain their goals which creates economic
Personal responsibility is crucial for maintaining wellness, I find the multi-causation disease model diagram according to McKenzie et al, a clear distinction of the components the three circles in the model represents, the outer circle covers factors such as economics, environment , health care system, water quality, infectious disease outbreaks and air pollution, these are factors out of an individual’s control, followed by the middle circle which covers personality, beliefs and behavioral choices, this can be altered through choices and specific behavior patterns with the potential to impact health, the inner circle is genetic endowment, the DNA that we inherit. I have based my argument on the middle circle as the bridge to wellness. The obvious is, the outer and inner circles comprises of factors beyond our control. Encouragingly, personality, beliefs, and behavioral choices that represent the circle in the middle has the potential to bridge the gap between what we cannot control and the behavior modification that can impact our genetic endowment for better or worse. From this observation coupled with the public health goal to educate and motivate the population and communities to become proactive in their well-being, the focus of this paper is to highlight the personal inherent qualities, the intangibles that can be cultivated to the state of homeostasis.
Keleher, H. & MacDougall, C. (2011). Understanding Health: 3rd edition. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Communities are sometimes largely unaware that social factors rather than medical ones, such as income, and employment status, shape our health. Our health is also determined by the health and social services we receive, and our ability to attain high education levels, food and safe housing, among other factors.
I agree with the Dr Raphael video that good health is a vital in every person’s life. When we ask people that how to become healthy the usual response is exercise, healthy diet, avoid alcohol etc but, If someone’s economic status is poor how can they afford healthy diet and if they are not educated how do they know that which food and living condition are good for their health. After watching this video it can be said that the factors which determine the health called ‘social determinants of health’’ plays an important part in our health. Social determinant of health are employment, economic status, education, housing, social exclusion. As mentioned by Dr Raphael that a lot of people are not aware of this fact and it is important to make them
Health is a personal feeling of wellness and function that is not the same for everyone.
Health is described as physical and mental well-being and freedom from disease, pain or defect. However, such descriptions only superficially define the actual meaning of health. There may be many occasions when individuals are not necessarily ill or in pain but may be overweight, stressed or emotionally unstable. Health is a quality of life involving dynamic interaction and interdependence among the individual’s physical state, their mental and emotional reactions, and the social context in which the individual exists. There are many factors that influence your health, but three major components contribute to general well-being: Self-awareness, a balanced diet and, regular physical activity.
My concern for Health draws back to the days when I was playful and spoiled my health and finds the intervention to improve health and quality of life through prevention and treatment of disease and other physical and mental health conditions. Now, I look back and wonder how the dimensions of health can encompass "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely t...
Racial discrimination can lead to depression as well as added stress to people’s lives, which you know can lead to higher chances of diseases. Unequal social conditions, such as nutrition and medical care can play a big role in the health of people of color. As the textbook states, white patients are more likely than their counterparts to receive knee placement or coronary bypass surgery, as well as a better chance to obtain a cardiac catheterization. These two examples of unintentional discrimination can immensely diminish the health of minority groups in the long run. [Henslin, 2016] Due to the structure of our society, racial discrimination can be a key determinant of someone’s SES, which as you now know plays a big factor in determining someone’s health. According to U.S. Poverty Statistics, African Americans and Hispanics have twice the poverty rate of non-Hispanic whites. [U.S. Poverty Statistics, 2016] While this stat is very shocking, I feel that is more important to dive into why our society is this
Many people value health because it goes hand in hand with the level of success one will have in life. The strength of your social, mental, emotional health directly relates to the level of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment you experience in life, as well as your overall health , well-being and productivity. Health is optimum in many things from playing a sport to finding a spouse other than in a hospital setting. When choosing teams for a football one would choose the heftier and for lack of better word the people that look the healthiest. Even when choosing a spouse many males look for females that look that the most youthful and healthy, vice versa. Without health man's purpose would be limited by their illness
Every day the choices that people make have an impact on the rest of their life. It all starts with how a person takes care of their own body. Not only does someone’s physical health help them live longer, but so does their mental health. Genetics can also play a large factor in how someone lives their life. If people do not have access to key nutrients or health care professionals, then they might not be as healthy or live as long as they could. There are many practices that people can use to keep their health in check as they grow older. Many of these practices can prevent disorders and diseases that happen later in life. All in all, making healthy choices in every part of one’s life will better the life expectancy.
On the other hand, there is no denying the huge impact that economic status has on one's life expectancy. In this case, I have concerns about the notion that race and socioeconomic status interact with each other to cause a lesser life
complex issue. There is statistical evidence of a person who is black having generally worse health than
There are numerous public health problems that can be addressed in my Southside of Chicago community. Among the several public health problems facing my Southside of Chicago community there are two that are more urgent. Health education or one might say lack thereof is a problem that needs to be addressed. My community is plagued with many of the residents suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and the killer virus known as HIV. In most cases these conditions can be prevented with healthier lifestyles and access to nutritious organic foods. In addition, environmental health is another urgent problem my community is facing. Access to clean, safe water and air is supposed to be a fundamental human right aimed at a healthy environment. Yet, my community consists a waste contaminated beach, numerous deteriorated building that are still occupied, and a countless number of restaurant and stores supplying our residents with services that are endangering their health.
The original definition of health was described as a one dimensional state of being. If a person was void of illness or disease, they were declared healthy. We now understand that health is a multidimensional state of being. It is comprised of three major dimensions: physical, emotional, and social. Physical health speaks to what we eat, our activity levels, taking preventative medications, and whether or not we partake in harmful or risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse. Our emotional health is encompassed by how well we deal with our emotions, our stress levels, and our happiness. Our social health includes our ability to maintain healthy social relationships, our socioeconomic status, and the part we play within our community.
“Experts Say People Need to be More Responsible for Own Health.” Wrail. Np. 20 March 2012. Web. 13 March 2014.