Health disparity is a major challenge to the United States, a country made up of different races, ethnic communities and social classes. The result of this has been observed in depression of the life expectancy and child deaths lower than most advanced nations. Members of different social groups are exposed to different factors that increase their health risk factors.
Unequal distribution of resources is a prime contributing cause of health inequity (Zack, 2012). Citizens disadvantaged by unemployment, low income, poor working and living conditions are more prone to prolonged diseases like stroke, diabetes and cancer. Due to low income, these categories of people are not able to afford healthy food and medical care, check-ups for instance. Working extensive hours to keep up and meet their basic needs means that little time is left for exercise and sleep which is a necessity for well-being. Food deserts are places, often in poverty-stricken areas, where cheap healthy foods are not offered. Due to this, the population in these areas have no option but to rely on poor-quality foods whose effects are unpredictable. This means that in addition to not being able to afford healthcare, these individuals also knowingly or unknowingly increase their chances of being sick (Zack, 2012).
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The minorities in the United States register lower life expectancy rates than their white counterparts. Exposure to meager paying jobs, violent neighborhoods, lack of health information and discrimination, not genetic composition is responsible for this. For instance, since African Americans are perceived to be forceful and prone to unlawful activities, they are denied equal opportunities. Women are more affected since they not only have to fight discrimination because of their ethnicity but have to work harder due to gender inequality problems such as gender pay gap. A case study recorded that doctors are 70% likely to be biased in favor of the white race. Patient treatment and the ability to involve the patient in making decisions concerning their health, was severely lacking for patients of color, with the latter preferring treatment by doctors of the same race. This leads to distrust towards the medical practitioners.
References
Zack, N. (2012). Race and Ethnicity . San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
