Introduction
Social epidemiology focuses on the social factors that affect the health outcomes of people in different communities. The health status of individuals in the United States is unequal, as some communities have better access to social amenities based on where they are located. There are marginalized communities within the United States. As this essay paper will illustrate, the social disadvantages these communities face could be traced to the deplorable state of their health outcomes.
General Description of the Observable Occurrence
Since the onset of public health, the relationship between social class and health outcomes has been an issue of concern. The disparities between people in high and low social classes are affected by several factors; race is one of the main factors in the United States. Census-derived indicators suggest that “neighborhood problems” are prevalent among societies inhabited by “people of color.” To be more precise, there is a difference in terms of resources available to neighborhoods in the United States, and race influences this phenomenon. The neighborhoods inhabited by African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics were most prone to manifesting disease patterns.
The Observed or Potentially-Impacted Health Topic(s)
The term “neighborhood problems” refers to the issues that communities face based on the insufficiency of social amenities and how this affects the social norms of the members of a particular neighborhood. “Neighborhood problems” cover the physical aspects of a neighborhood and the social order. The physical aspects refer to harmful waste, vandalism, and abandoned buildings, whereas social order refers to aspects such as alcohol and drug abuse, conflict emergence and resolution, crime rate, and loitering, among others. People from poor neighborhoods have considerably more challenges to cope with within their daily lives than individuals from affluent neighborhoods.
Theoretical Framework to Understand the Social Epidemiologic Process
Medical researchers postulate that “neighborhood problems” lead to severe stress (Kivimäki et al., 2018). Subsequently, the psychological stress that such people endure often cultivates regressive coping behaviors that further deteriorate the health status of individuals in these communities (Stronks & Nicolaou, 2018). Excellent examples of such behavior includes, smoking and alcohol consumption. Communities from low-class neighborhoods are significantly overwhelmed by the numerous issues in their personal lives that they cannot care about the well-being of their neighbors. In contrast, people from high-class neighborhoods care about the well-being of fellow neighbors.
The level of social connection present in the neighborhood of high-class communities helps to cultivate more health-conscious behavior. The low social connection in low-class neighborhoods promotes negligence, where people lack concern when neighbors heavily indulge in health-destructive behaviors (Leppold et al., 2022). Therefore, the psychological theoretical framework optimally describes the variations of social epidemiology between the rich and poor neighborhoods. Moreover, according to Stronks & Nicolaou (2018), the ethnic composition of people in affluent neighborhoods mostly entails Caucasians. On the other hand, the ethnic composition of people in affluent neighborhoods mostly entails African-Americans and Hispanics.
Potential, Evidence-Based Remedial Interventions
The deplorable state of health among communities is caused by psychological stress that makes people hopeless, negligent, and hostile. Healthcare providers can resolve these problems by improving the psychological health of communities in lower-class neighborhoods. One excellent way to implement this is by partnering with community groups to make a positive social impact. The second way is to promote community engagement and social empowerment programs to enable individuals to understand the impact of their actions on their health outcomes (Kivimäki et al., 2018). Similarly, community empowerment will enhance social interconnection and concern within these neighborhoods.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this social epidemiology essay presentation illustrates that the United States has much work to do to enhance the health outcomes of all members within the country. There is a huge disparity in access to healthcare amenities for people in the United States. Racial factors influence the number of resources available to neighborhoods in the US. However, medical professionals in the US can offer a viable beginning to a better future through the social empowerment of marginalized communities.
References
Kivimäki, M., Vahtera, J., Tabák, A., Halonen, J., Vineis, P., & Pentti, J. et al. (2018). Neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage, risk factors, and diabetes from childhood to middle age in the Young Finns Study: a cohort study. The Lancet Public Health, 3(8), e365-e373. Web.
Leppold, C., Gibbs, L., Block, K., Reifels, L., & Quinn, P. (2022). Public health implications of multiple disaster exposures. The Lancet Public Health. Web.
Stronks, K., & Nicolaou, M. (2018). Embracing complexity in social epidemiology. The Lancet Public Health, 3(8), e352-e353. Web.