Question by LifeSucksBallz: Socioeconomic Status and Health?
Explain the ways in which low socioeconomic status in the United States contributes to poor physical and mental health. Include in your discussion environmental and other social factors that create poor health and lack of access to adequate health care.

Best answer:

Answer by Jeff S
Well, if you are low SES you don’t have access to health care (i.e. no health insurance). Studies show you are less likely to care about your long term health (physical or mental) because you’re just trying to live day to day. If you’re low SES you’re probably living in a house or apartment that cheap where there might be lead paint, etc. that will give you long term health problems. You’ll live on the side of town with lower rents and higher crime rates, which increases your stress. Stress leads to heart disease and increased risk of long term health problems like Diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic malnutrition, etc. With high stress levels, no insurance, and little money, you’re more likely to use drugs or alcohol to cope with the stress. That can turn into drug or alcohol addiction.

If you live in a high crime rate and you have family, your stressors are tripled! You worry about you and your whole family being victimized. When a child gets sick, you worry how you’ll get them to the Medicaid clinic or “free clinic” before the line gets to long. Low SES parents tend to care a lot less about their kids getting a good education because they don’t have one themselves a lot of times (except in situations like the current economy).

Low SES people are also more likely to commit crime and end up in jail. They may start out with theft to pawn items just to live. As they get away with it, they have to do it more and more to survive. Then it’s a cycle. Some people start selling drugs or stolen goods to get by.

There’s just a lot of stuff that goes with this question. You’ll have to look up some more information on the American Sociological Association’s website.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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