Introduction
A healthy population is the strength and opportunity of any nation. Many factors can affect families’ health, making it better or worse. Taking these factors into account allows the government to choose a strategy to improve the quality of life for families, and there are plans in Brazil to improve the population’s well-being. This paper examines how nutrition, religion, financial well-being, and the environment affect the health of Brazilian families.
Health Policy Overview
Brazil has a national health policy, Sistema Único de Saúde(SUS). This system aims to improve the quality and accessibility of health services and policy-making, creating the conditions for primary health care (Brazil | Summary, 2020). Brazil’s public and private health sectors are separated, so there is a pronounced difference in the conditions of service provision. Spending on health is expected to rise to 12.6% of GDP by 2040, but at this point, public sector efforts are insufficient (OECD, 2021).
It should also be taken into account that the general economic trend in Brazil is not conducive to the integrated and comprehensive development of the health sector. Although it is stated that the family and its development are essential in the country’s strategic planning, resources are currently insufficient. Consequently, Brazilian families cannot receive the full range of health services without financial stability due to the high cost of private health care.
Nutrition
Brazilian public food policies have pronounced ripples related to food availability and the prevalence of hunger as a social problem. Moriguchi Watanabe et al. (2022) note that established national food programs did not emerge until the middle of the second half of the 20th century. Government programs were established at this time, targeting healthy eating programs, breastfeeding promotion, food supplements, and rationalizing food production (MoriguchiWatanabe et al., 2022). Since 2004, Brazil has had a strategy to improve food security, which aims to strengthen the control of safe food production. In particular, public policies aim to increase the role of farms in the national market.
Several nutrition-related problems exist in Brazil, particularly in children with significant vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Brazilian families ‘ standard national and traditional diets do not provide high diversity and nutrient richness. Instead, trans-fats, high sugars and carbohydrates, foods with abundant preservatives, and ultra-processed foods are prevalent (Bedix, 2022).
Consequently, opposing problems such as obesity and malnutrition have been observed. Both arise from a lack of government control of food (Moriguchi Watanabe et al., 2022) and social support measures (Mais et al., 2022). Current food labeling requirements allow Brazilian families to be more mindful of their diet and try to incorporate more healthy foods. However, the main challenge for any family remains the lack of financial stability and living in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods, which affects the availability of healthy foods.
Religion
In Brazil, the church is separate from the state, according to the Constitution, but several Christian holidays are enshrined as public holidays. Virtually all Brazilians are Christian, associated with a wave of European conquerors. Food is essential in Christianity, so it can be expected that many families carry the religious precepts into their lives: for example, meat and fish are restricted during Lent. Religion in Brazil has a pronounced influence on family composition, divorce rates, and single parenthood (Peres et al., 2018). For example, Catholics are more likely to stay married and have higher incomes but may have lower levels of education.
In contrast, Jews have a higher divorce rate, which may affect the psychological development of children, but may have much higher levels of education and income. The religious profile in Brazil is thought to change according to political activity and economic growth (Peres et al., 2018). It can be judged that religion influences the formation of judgments in families, preserves and develops marriage, and affects educational attainment.
Finances
Financial well-being is essential when planning a family and having a child. As of 2023, Brazil’s minimum wage is R$1320 per month, equating to almost 270 American dollars (Brazilian wages: Minimum and average, 2023). This is a meager wage by the standards of North America and even neighboring countries, which does not fully allow for a high standard of living. In families where both parents are employed in low-skilled labor, total earnings may not exceed 1,500 American dollars per month. Without financial stability, Brazilian families cannot obtain a healthy diet, provide their children with an education, and utilize private healthcare services. As a result, families’ health is often exacerbated by the lack of money, with untreated chronic diseases.
There are many determinants of financial well-being: employment, income, financial behavior and knowledge, and social factors. In the context of family health research, social factors are likely to play a critical role because they are part of the conditions that shape responsible health behaviors. Many families belong to vulnerable groups who do not have access to health care due to social factors. According to Tikkanen et al. (2020), only 23% have additional private insurance, and in dentistry, only 9.6%. Although SUS insurance covers many services, it does not meet the needs of Brazilian families. Lack of financial stability and low wages do not allow the purchase of private insurance, which suggests that the health of many families is at risk.
Environment
The environment invariably influences a population’s health status, as it has a pronounced relationship with places of residence, income, and opportunities. Brazil has a pronounced tendency towards agriculture compared to other areas, as it has not been able to sustain its economy for a long time due to low demographics. The country has several critical environmental problems that affect the population’s ability to maintain and improve their health. These problems include ethanol air pollution, industrial pollution, water pollution, and climate change.
Brazil’s environmental problems are the focus of many organizations, including the United Nations. In particular, air pollution enters the discussion, as pollution rates can be critical (de Moura & da Silva Júnior, 2023). Studies have noted that differences in biomes may be related to the differentiation of pollution sites associated with regional economies (Requia & Castelhano, 2023).
It should be understood that these differences again come down to the state’s problem of providing comfortable social conditions and the capacity to sustain agricultural activities. Requia and Castelhano (2023) note that municipalities that have higher incomes will produce more polluting particles in the air. For families in rural areas, this means that their lack of insurance will be critical because dirty air can provoke a lack of work, deaths of workers and animals themselves, and an increase in upper respiratory diseases.
The heterogeneity of Brazil’s economic development is a significant obstacle to improving the quality of life of families from different territories. This leads to agricultural activities instead of the expected progress and opportunities, resulting in families living in a polluted environment. Careless land use techniques and increased CO2 emissions in industrial areas lead to forest fires, reducing access to clean air even more (de Moura& da Silva Júnior, 2023). Consequently, public health expenditures are increasing, and many families cannot afford the full provision of quality health services.
Conclusion
Thus, Brazil’s overall profile of family well-being development remains insufficiently favorable. This is not only due to the lack of working health policy strategies but also to multiple factors. Public nutrition is closely related to food quality verification and labeling. However, the lack of implementation of an education process does not effectively integrate healthy foods into the diet of Brazilian families. In addition, in the context of the religious aspect, practices of avoiding products of meat origin are welcomed, which can affect children’s health.
It should be noted that slow economic trends have led to financial well-being in Brazil being present in a small group of people. Low wages, low-skilled labor, and belonging to vulnerable groups do not facilitate access to qualified health services. Limited public insurance and the high cost of private insurance also aggravate families. Finally, high rates of air pollution and an abundance of industrial and agricultural sectors do not allow for maintaining a healthy environment. In the context of the above, a significant strengthening of health policy and a family-oriented approach to implementing social assistance to the population is likely required.
References
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