Health Disparities among the Poor and Minority

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Health Disparities among the Poor and Minority

Currently in the health policy, research and practice, health disparities have emerged as a significant focus between different subgroups in the community regarding ethnicity and racism. In America, health issues such as the rates of obesity, Aids, and chronic diseases are disproportionally high among the poor and minorities. The term minority regards to communities such as the Native Americans, Asians, Hispanic, black Americans and the American Indian. In understanding about health disparities, one has to put in consideration diet and nutrition which are the fundamental factors health disorders. Other factors include social-economic, demographic characteristics, environmental and psychological influences. In this discussion, health matters disproportionate is discussed in an in-depth context among the marginalized and impoverished social groups in America.

To a great extent, it is evident that the minorities are the ones that are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, low income, as well as segregation and are substantially associated with low standard living measures. All these elements make their livelihood difficult, where they do not put a balanced diet into consideration, and in many instances, they will be eating to survive not enhancing the proper functioning of their bodies. They tend to take food containing lots of fats and chemical substances which are hazardous to their health. In contrast, they will have a low intake of fruits, vegetables and other food with high fiber and mineral content which are essential in ensuring proper functioning of the body (Huang & Park 2015). For instance, take an example of a family that lives in the ghetto, living in a simple house and facing financial constraints. The lower income they might be generating in their everyday life activities will be focused on catering for the many significant arrears and sustaining the household requirements. Therefore, after the deductions and all that they will end up having capital deficit thus not concerned about diet and health issues as they are not financially stable.

The case gave above perfectly explains the social-economic factor of social disparity among the underprivileged in the community. Without resources, people will be prone to dangerous diseases such as Aids and cancer as well as nutrient disorders as they do not have the capability of living at the same measure as the capable ones who are financially stable. It is logic that with low employment rate many people living in the marginalized areas will have all their time to do all the immoralities in the society such sexual abuse which put them on the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (Williams, et al. 2016). The fact of having no capability of eating a well-balanced diet and to some extent not having equal rights of accessing social amenities as the whites, make them end up suffering increasing their mortality rate.

The environmental factors significantly determine the variety of food that one consumes depending on the food choices available, the cost and the factors motivating people to feed on healthy food. The other issue that leads to health disparities among the deprived and minority is lack of knowledge regarding healthy eating habits. Some up to date live in their traditional customs where diet was not an issue due to lack of education (Strutz, et al. 2015). For instance, the African American feel comfortable and accepts that they have large body sizes. Thus they end up eating limiting their eating behaviors many preferring to intake of food containing high carbohydrate contents.

Health disparities are common among the poor and marginalized in American nations, and there have to be put into practical measures to regulate the issues. It is the role of the government as well as the public at the individual level to get access of these minority communities to support and educate them about the importance of maintaining a balanced diet as well as the kind of food to feed on and the measures to take in controlling the related disorders.

References

Huang, D. L., & Park, M. (2015). Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic oral health disparities among US older adults: oral health quality of life and dentition. Journal of public health dentistry, 75(2), 85-92.

Strutz, K. L., Herring, A. H., & Halpern, C. T. (2015). Health disparities among young adult sexual minorities in the US. American journal of preventive medicine, 48(1), 76-88.

Williams, D. R., Priest, N., & Anderson, N. B. (2016). Understanding associations among race, socioeconomic status, and health: Patterns and prospects. Health Psychology, 35(4), 407.