Health inequality, I suppose many of you may have heard the phrase or have seen advocacy projects regarding the topic. There’s a quote from the movie Hotel Rwanda, where the character Jack says “I think if people see this footage, they’ll say Oh, my God, that’s horrible. And then they’ll go on eating their dinners”. In the movie context, Jack was referring to the reaction of civilians of other countries towards the Rwandan genocide. Jack’s statement, In reality, is true. Sometimes in our society, if issue do not directly affect us, we tend to dismiss them. For people who don’t know, health inequalities occur in every state, city, and maybe just around the corner from where you reside. For people lucky enough to not be directly affected by it, I want to challenge you to “not go on eating dinner” but to explore one of the health issues plaguing the country we live in.
For those of you who do not know what health inequality is, it is defined by the World Health Organization as differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups. Within the topic of Health inequality, there are two subcategories. They are health disparities and health inequity, and they are often used interchangeably.
Health Disparities are simple differences in the presence of disease, health outcomes, and access to health care among distribution groups. An example of a health disparity would be how in all HIV cases diagnosed among men in the United States, African Americans males account for majority of the cases.
According to the Boston Public Health Commission, health inequity is differences in health that are unnecessary and avoidable and in addition, are considered unjust and unfair. In other words, it is when social issues surpass biological differences. The root of health inequity is based on social injustices, which leaves specific population groups more vulnerable to them. An example would be how people with higher incomes are more likely to receive higher quality health care than their poorer counterparts.
The reason I chose to write about health inequalities is that I have seen firsthand the vast differences in public health between the two communities I have grown up in.
When I was younger, I lived in Crown Heights, New York. Crown Heights was once categorized as a low-income community. Most of the residents were predominantly African American. Along with the high amount of people living below the poverty line, there were many health disparities. One of the biggest inequities I remember is the availability of healthy foods. The neighborhood was famous for having plenty of corner stores. Inside of these corner stores, you would find items at an affordable price. Although, affordability does not always equate to nutritiousness. The stores would sell candy, sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages and anything processed, you name it. When you are immersed in a low-income area you will find that families often make difficult decisions. For example, when it comes to the decision to feed your family a balanced meal or make sure you have enough food to last between paychecks. These decisions are easily handled as many people will go to visit the local corner store, Thus, possibly sacrificing their health in the process.
The reason I can identify the disparities is because of where I live now. Currently, I live in Hauppauge, New York. Hauppauge is a much different community; in terms of demographics, the population is primarily Caucasian. The income is much higher, and access to quality foods and health care is much easier.
Currently, I am pursuing a career in nursing that I would like to use as a liaison in the public health field. I have always had the inclination to give back and improve the communities I once came from. Throughout the next few months, we will look into health inequalities affecting our communities and take the first step towards addressing them through gaining awareness.
Health Ineqaulities 