Describe The Wealth/Health Gradient Illustrated In The Movie Analysis

Improved Essays
1) Describe the wealth/health gradient illustrated in the film. What does it show?
The wealth/health gradient that was illustrated in the film revealed that health behaviors are influenced by economic status; hence, more wealth leads to better health. The film shows that the lower the grade of employment, the higher the risk of heart disease, and every major cause of death. Researchers in the film also assert that death rate and illness correlated to individuals’ socioeconomic status even after unhealthy behaviors were controlled for. Individuals who are not at the top of the health gradient experience worse health in comparison to individuals who are at the top/wealthy. For instance, the film depicts that if a poor person is smoking, he or
…show more content…
For example, in Mary’s district, there were very little businesses. There were mostly small business primarily fast foods, barbershops, beauty salons, pawnbrokers, nail parlors, check cashing, and liquor stores. Therefore, there was a lack of access to healthy foods, poor quality of housing, and environmental conditions shown throughout the film. Other social determinants also include access to health care services. To illustrate, Mary was afraid of getting a job, because she was afraid of losing her health insurance. In the film, there were also socioeconomic conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty and stressful conditions), and unavailability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities. The quality of education or access to education, economic, and lack of job opportunities are also social determinants of health that were seen throughout the …show more content…
This understanding of social determinants of health will influence my work in public health in that while I am working with a community or population these are things I need to consider. This has definitely improved my understanding in that these social determinants of health can influence a person’s well-being and quality of life. This goes to show that not only does individual health behaviors affects their health, but social determinants can also have a tremendous impact on one’s health. This understanding of the social determinants of health has influenced my work in public health in that when am working with a community, I should be open-minded or nonjudgmental because everyone has different experiences even when they live in the same state or district. By understanding social determinants, this will allow me to learn about ways in which I can improve the different components of social determinants and health

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Each person depends on a number of social determinants to make up his or her health. There is a correlation between the social determinants and the individual’s health; if a person is negatively affected by the social determinants of health, his or her physical, emotional and mental health are all likely to suffer (Davidson, 2015, pg.8). Digger, one of the main characters in Richard Wagamese’s Ragged Company, was born into a poor family of Aboriginal descent, though it becomes clear that had he been born into a family of higher social status he would have been given more opportunities to discover his talents and put them to use. While negative social determinants have an obvious and clear effect on a person’s physical health, each individual’s…

    • 1468 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These individuals lived in the streets, alleys or any other place they could find shelter. In addition, this population had lack of access or limited access to health care services which greatly impacted individuals’ health status. For instance,…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Zip Code 9561 Case Study

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Zip code 95661 is located in the community of Roseville, the largest city in Placer County. It is located 20 miles east of Sacramento and was once considered a railroad town. In 2011, zip code 95661 had a recorded population of 30,730 people and covered an area of approximately 9.0 square miles. It has a population density of 3,414 people per square mile (City-Data, 2011). In comparison, zip code 95945 is located in Grass Valley, which is part of the Nevada County.…

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social Determinants Social determinants are the conditions in which people are born, where they live, grow, age and work. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of power, money, and resources at local, global, and national levels (Social determinants, 2015). Many factors are considered when determining what affects the health of individuals as well as entire communities. Health is affected by environmental and circumstantial factors. It is largely influenced by income, education level, relationships with friends and family, the environment, state of residence, as well as genetics (Social determinants, 2015).…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    "Social models of health recognise that our health is influenced by a wide range of individual, interpersonal, organisation, social, environmental, political and economic factors" (Stuart, G. 2016). Factors such as culture, social and economic status, gender and many more. This films perspective would be changed to focussing on discolouration and how moving to another country can have big impacts on families. When the family moved to America from Laos the father grew depressed because he was falling sick and could not keep up with his traditions, and he knew that it was difficult for his sons to carry on as well. One of the son 's married a Caucasian female, and this was a big change to the…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Righting Humanity In Our Time” written by Merle Jacobs and L.A. Visano provides the reader with enrich understanding of social determinants of health and how it plays a big role in maintaining the health systems, bringing along the issues of economic, ethnic and heath inequities and how that relates to major problems like: food insecurity, barriers in service systems and even poverty. In my paper, I will discuss the social determinants of health in two social locations by situating my significant other with intersectionality and discuss the social determinants of health in two social locations: Canada and India. I will briefly talk about the social determinants of health: food insecurity and undernourishment by drawing a comparison between a developed versus an underdeveloped country. I would evaluate the health of my significant other to individuals living in South Asia. I will shed light upon why food security is one of the most essential and significant components to a good health and why lack of it is creating a major issue around the world.…

    • 2453 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Primarily, there is a widespread hindrance on social determinants of health affecting…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Issues such as one’s life experiences, environments and social and economic conditions also determine the state of a person’s health. These social and economic conditions are known as the social determinants of health and they have a very large impact on one’s mental and physical health (Marmott, 2013). Research shows that the social determinants can be more important than health care or lifestyle choices in influencing health. Because Canada is such a rich country, it is easy to mask the reality surrounding poverty rates, social exclusion, homelessness and discrimination (Marmott, 2013). This is why the issue of deinstitutionalization may not be such a large issue to a lot of people; not many people know the realities of it.…

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Adewalle Troutman promotes the aspects of responsibility and social determinants linked together, because there is only so much that can be controlled within your social status. You can be very responsible and hardworking, yet if the job you have doesn’t give you the means to take proper care of yourself you may end up stuck. For instance, if you’re in a rough neighborhood you cannot control the potential dangers, in turn increasing your stress and ultimately negatively impacting your health. In some cases, the laws and policies that determine the wellness of an individual are designed to work against certain groups within a community. Lack of insurance combined with poverty often results in the shortened life span of those individuals (Borst, 2010).…

    • 1037 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Introduction Australia is one of the countries in the world that is made up of different cultural groups with different cultural health determinants. Generally, the health of an individual begins from their homes, schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces with some similarities being evident while differences crop up at some point (Nagata,et al., 2013). The social determinants of health refers to those conditions in the environment that surrounds a given group of people that in a way affects the health of the people within a given setting. The conditions also affect the quality of life of these individuals as well as the general functioning of the society in question (Garg, Jack, & Zuckerman, 2013). The social determinants of health also refer…

    • 2055 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    If one were to define healthy, one might define it as the absence of disease; another might define it as proper nutrition, exercise, a steady job, minimal stress, etc. The truth of the matter is healthy is defined as all of those things and more. Each ‘thing’ is considered a factor, and these factors are classified as social determinants of health. The social determinants of health refer to the economic and social conditions – and their distribution…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Recently researchers have started to discover a correlation between a person’s socioeconomic status and their…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Economic conditions, including food and lifestyle, have a direct impact on access to healthcare, life expectancy, chronic illnesses, and overall health (Carmignani, Shankar, Tan, & Tang, 2014). Education and social impacts also has an impact on individuals having better knowledge of health information and health-related decisions (Carmignani et al., 2014). Healthcare organizations and providers should be aware of the dynamics of the populations that they serve with the purpose of developing services that will best serve their community and to provide amenities that impact the health of the population the…

    • 1527 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social Determinants

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Social determinants of health are the environments of which a person lives or has grown up in that contribute to the quality and risks of their health. Social determinants can include education, work, social support, socially accepted views, culture and other societal influenced conditions. A study performed in 1998 suggested that as a child, witnessing or being the victim of abuse can be linked to serious health issues as an adult. The Adverse…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    It also includes the social position of one group in relation to others and looks into the root causes of disparities as well as steps that are taken to alleviate them (Canadian Nurses Association, 2009). When applied to health, social justice applies to different aspects of life that can have positive effects on health including food, housing, employment, income, education and social safety. These are also considered social determinants of health. Much research has shown that social determinants are definitive factors to people’s health. That is to say, one’s socioeconomic status has a direct effect on the access or lack of access to healthcare.…

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays