Introduction
Social epidemiology is a branch concerned with how society, institutions, and relationships between individuals, systems, and elements influence healthcare. It studies various determinants that affect the distribution and states of health in a populace, and societal influences constitute a significant part of that process (Krickeberg et al., 2019). Therefore, while epidemiology considers social concerns, social epidemiology makes them the principal target for in-depth studies (Krickeberg et al., 2019). The former offers a more general and holistic view, while the latter specializes in a particular subset of determinants.
Social Epidemiology
The utility of studying social epidemiology for research, practice, and policy lies in the ability to analyze and affect social elements that may be positive or detrimental to public health. This area of knowledge examines what a society can do on a systems level to improve healthcare, which is the objective of all policies and many interventions (Berkman et al., 2017). If a new disease or condition emerges, medicine or treatment is discovered, and the systems determine how these factors affect the population. Social determinants affect who is at risk, who is more likely to get treatment or afford a drug, and the quality of these services (Berkman et al., 2017). Without social epidemiology, effective policymaking in healthcare is impossible.
Theoretical frameworks provide different perspectives on the prevalent social factors that affect the spreading of diseases, accessibility to treatment, and other important variables. These frameworks include the psychosocial, political economy of health, and eco-social theories, among others (Krickeberg et al., 2019). The former addresses biological responses to human interaction; the social production of disease emphasizes economic and political factors in cultivating or suppressing ailments and diseases, whereas the ecology/social framework integrates biological, historical, and ecological perspectives (Krickeberg et al., 2019). Often, these theories are used to provide contrasting views and offer a balanced social view on diseases.
When it comes to the writer’s community, the most apparent social determinants of health are economic. The amount of wealth an individual has affects many areas of one’s life, including access to high-quality care, better standards of living and nutrition, as well as better health education (Krickeberg et al., 2019). People who have the time and money to better themselves end up working high-end jobs. In contrast, poor individuals have to subside on mediocre nutrition, inadequate healthcare, as well as dangerous and demanding jobs. Impoverished areas are notoriously more polluted, influencing ecological health determinants (Berkman et al., 2017). Finally, prolonged exposure to poverty affects biological determinants, as children born to impoverished families often suffer from hereditary diseases, predisposition to obesity, passive smoking, and other elements that negatively affect their growth and long-term resilience.
Political aspects of disease distribution are inherently tied to the economic situation many impoverished individuals find themselves. Black, Native and Hispanic populations in the US have historically been underprivileged and barred from political influence and decision-making (Krickeberg et al., 2019). The absence of representation, discriminatory laws, institutional racism, and many related political factors have negatively affected these populations’ economic and health standing. Areas populated by these minorities are notoriously impoverished and feature higher exposure and mortality rates during disease outbreaks. COVID-related deaths, for example, are much higher among these three population subgroups when compared to Whites and Asians (Shah et al., 2020). These examples show the prevalence of political and economic factors over all others in the chosen community.
Conclusion
To summarize, social epidemiology is a subset of the science studying social determinants affecting disease spreading and access to healthcare. This science is critical to policymaking efforts and affects many aspects of modern society. There are many different frameworks through which social epidemiology could be perceived. Depending on the community in question, various aspects explored in these theories may be prevalent or secondary.
References
Berkman, L. F., Kawachi, I., & Glymour, M. M. (Eds.). (2017). Social epidemiology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Krickeberg, K., Van Trong, P., & Hanh, P. T. M. (2019). Epidemiology: Key to public health. Springer.
Shah, M., Sachdeva, M., & Dodiuk-Gad, R. P. (2020). COVID-19 and racial disparities. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 83(1), e35.