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Introduction
The World Health Organization has described extreme poverty as the greatest cause of suffering on earth. Poverty is determined in terms of an individual’s income or consumption levels. Human beings can be categorized as poor if they are not able to meet their basic needs (Leon & Walt, 2001). This paper is therefore an exploration of how a social class influences the health of a population.
How social class influences population health
Poverty has both direct and indirect effects on the social, mental, and physical well-being of an individual. People of lower socioeconomic class (poor people) have been linked to diseases like ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic stress, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer and heart disease. This is because they live in communities that are under-developed in terms of physical and social infrastructure and as a result, they are exposed to poor health conditions. Inequality in terms of income causes frustration and family disruption and can result in increased violence, homicide and increased crime rates (Leon & Walt, 2001).
In terms of employment, poor people are exposed to dangerous working environments involving stressful, unrewarding, and depersonalizing work. They lack the necessities of life and because they are not part of the mainstream of society, they are cut off from information and support. Owing to these stressful conditions most individuals result in alcohol and substance misuse. Studies have confirmed that alcohol and drug dependence are much higher in the unemployed class. In addition, mortality rates as a result of alcohol are higher for individuals in manual occupations than in their professional counterparts. Poor people prefer less healthy lifestyles since their income levels cannot allow them to spend on a healthy diet and also because they lack knowledge on balanced diets (Kawachi, Daniels & Robinson, 2005).
Ways in which social class relates with early medical care
Economic inequality not only creates segregation among the social classes but also a varied approach in facilitating treatment among them. There is a tendency for every class to seek early medical care although the probability is higher for people of higher social classes since they have better access to education and because they have the income needed. Educated people know about healthy diets and are less likely to die of diseases like diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases. Moreover, people of higher social class can secure medical insurance for their families and have the income to enable them to undergo regular medical checkups. Poor people tend to seek medical care only when they fall sick (Department of health, 2003).
Social class and health in U.S and Europe
Research has shown that upper-middle-class Americans live longer and in better health than middle-class Americans, who live longer and better than those at the bottom do. Although advances in medicine and disease prevention have increased life expectancy, only people with education, good jobs, connections and good money have benefitted. The same situation also applies to the European countries whereby a study conducted in nine European countries revealed that the higher percentage of those with mental disorders were those from poor backgrounds. In the United States, a health care program has been developed for those who are unable to pay although it has been strongly criticized as inequitable. Research has confirmed that low-income people have low rates of treatment for mental disorders as compared to the economically advantaged (Kawachi, Daniels & Robinson, 2005).
Conclusion
Governments especially in developing countries should develop initiatives to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and to improve the health and well-being of their populations. Measures for tackling unemployment should also be put in place as this would highly decrease the number of people suffering from psychological stress, strokes and heart diseases.
Reference List
Department of Health (2003). Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action. London: Department of Health.
Kawachi, I., Daniels, N., & Robinson, D. E. (2005). Health disparities by race and class: Why both matter. Health Affairs, 24(2), 343–352.
Leon, D. & Walt, G. (2001). Poverty, Inequality, and Health: An International Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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