According to proponents of the Social-Ecological Model, behaviors form based on the interaction between the features of individuals, communities, society and relationships in between. The overlapping relationships between the characteristics of these elements illustrate the way in which factors at one level influence those at other levels. The model is widely used in the promotion of public health. In examining the relationship and interaction between the different factors that affect behaviors in communities, public health experts are able to develop strategies that encompass and target the overall society. For instance, public health habits to promote healthy lifestyles can be encouraged in a community by taking into account how factors that influence the behaviors of the community impact its health. At the core of this model is an individual’s biological makeup, which is purely based on their developmental genetic history. Subsequently, the makeup is modified and impacted by the immediate social and physical environmental factors, as well as the interactions between them. Ultimately, there are other broader factors, including economic, political, and social conditions, that the relations, which eventually impacts the individual’s behavior and their reaction to their surroundings. The social-ecological model can be used to determine the action associated with HIV/AIDS among low-income urbanites.
Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Levels
The characteristics at this level can influence the behavior of a person. Intrapersonal factors such as age, economic status, and education level influence an individual’s behavior and contribution towards controlling HIV/AIDS as a major public health concern. Low-income urbanites have a low economic status that could lure them to behaviors that expose them to a higher risk of HIV/AIDS, including prostitution. Additionally, they have low education levels and might have low knowledge on methods of protection against the disease, ultimately causing them to practice irresponsible sexual behaviors that could contribute to the disease. The interpersonal factors entail the relationships with families and friends. High-level interaction with these people encourages healthy and positive behaviors by individuals, which could, in turn, help to prevent and control the health menace of HIV/AIDS among low-income urbanites. The interpersonal level is important for the low-income urbanites who need to stay in close contact with each other, especially given the inadequate availability of information on health issues. Close interpersonal relations will lead to more exchange of information on the disease leading to more awareness and ultimately control over it.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Institutional, Community, and Societal Levels
The institutional level entails the relationship with various entities in society (Hayden, 2019). The level is important in controlling the disease because it helps the community members to garner more support from corporate and non-corporate entities. Such support can be in terms of financial and moral support. The level is also important in helping to encourage positive behavior in the society by influencing the employees and the rest of the society through the creation of awareness. Furthermore, the community level is important in helping to control the HIV menace among low-income urbanites because it helps in the formation of networks with the institutions and organizations in the greater community. Subsequently, it helps in deliberating on such issues as the types of businesses that will be established within the community. In some instances, businesses influence behavior that could cause a high risk of contracting such diseases as HIV/AIDS. In addition, community levels are vital in the determination of the way populations behave and the values and customs they uphold (Cumming, 2011). Also, societal level factors include cultural and social norms that could support behaviors leading to the disease. Social policies should be put up among low-income urban populations to regulate behaviors while discouraging those leading to the risk of the disease.
Challenges to Achieving Health Equity
There are a variety of factors that create a challenge to the achievement of health equity for the low-income urbanites in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS. One of these factors is a structural bias that entails systemic disadvantage of one group relative to others with whom they coexist (Berkman, 2000). In some instances, a given social group could be discriminated because it has a majority of its members affected by HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, ethnicity can lead to structural bias in instances where a given ethnic group is favored against others. Another factor is social inequities where the society might be divided along social discrimination lines on the basis of such factors as income levels and social class. In such cases, the minority groups are more discriminated against and could have limited opportunities to health care (Naidoo, Pillay, & Bowman, 2007). Furthermore, social groups with higher income levels have more ability to seek health care and are thus, given a priority for access to these services relative to their counterparts who have lower incomes. From another point of view, racism can lead to health inequity based on racial lines. It occurs when one race is more discriminated against another in their access for health services. Health inequity could disadvantage the discriminated groups, which could lower the society’s fight against health problems such as HIV/AIDS. It also leads to reduced opportunities for the disadvantaged groups, which could prevent them from gaining control over the disease and other health issues facing them.
Summary
Each level of the social-ecological model contributes towards the shaping of the behaviors of individuals towards the HIV/AIDS public health issue among low-income urbanites. Intrapersonal and interpersonal levels influence a person’s values and their interactions with others. Forming relationships supports more exchange of information on the health issue, which can help in its control. Furthermore, institutional, community and societal levels help in developing partnerships with all stakeholders in the society to assist in the fight against the health menace.
References
Berkman, L. (2000). Social Epidemiology. Oxford University Press, USA.
Cumming, G. (2011). Spatial Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems. Springer Science & Business Media.
Hayden, J. (2019). Introduction to health behavior theory . Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Naidoo, A., Pillay, J., & Bowman, B. (2007). Community Psychology. Juta and Company Ltd.
