Income Inequality & Its Effects by Katherine C.
Poverty is one of the many factors that contributes to a person's health. In a global perspective, poverty is associated with communicable diseases in developing regions. These communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea, etc. can cause deaths in children- especially since their young immune system is still developing. More importantly, children are dying from these diseases that are preventable at a low cost. For instance, an insecticide-treated bed net that costs $5 can protect a child from malaria. In America, income inequality is associated with poor mental and physical health which are caused by lack of access to healthcare, stress on financial needs, poor quality education, exposure to multiple fast food chains, no fresh grocery stores, high rent costs, etc.
Stats:
- Bottom 20% of California's population has an income of about $23,980 whereas top 20% of the population have an income of at least $124,136
- Income inequality have detrimental health effects such as increased suicide rates, lower life expectancy, increased infant mortality, and poorer self-reported health
- Poor mental health is associated with job strain, lack of social support, job insecurity, unable to make decisions, high psychological demands, low costs for hard labor, etc. and these can lead to depression/stress
- 44 million Americans are uninsured while 8/10 of these Americans are either workers/dependents. On top of this, 38 million lack insurance stability or have inadequate insurance
Research:
Los Angeles is often associated with warm temperatures, beaches, and celebrities. However, people fail to acknowledge that there is an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. According to KCET, Los Angeles is ranked #7 in regards to the highest income inequality gap in the United States and 18.4% of the people are living below poverty line (KCET, 2018). There is a shortage of "middle-wage" jobs, but jobs that are associated with low-wages and high-wages are increasing. (KCET, 2018) This further increases the gap between the rich and the poor. Nowadays, obtaining a degree or education doesn't guarantee a job either. Jobs that offer low-wages are usually taken by minorities or immigrant communities. These low-income jobs offer very little security and stability, and this also takes a toll on the workers' psychological and physical health. According to NCBI, health effects of low-income communities are linked to greater exposure to mortality, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, etc. and other mental health disorders such as depression and stress (NCBI, 2015). Due to their low wages, these workers are unable to afford insurance and lack access to healthcare systems. In addition, those who live in low-income communities lack resources such as good quality education or fresh foods. If a person earning minimum wage has to choose between buying veggies or a complete meal at McDonald's for the same price...then he/she is most likely to choose the meal that fills up the entire family. This causes their health to further decline.
Relevancy:
This issue is important to me because America's healthcare system is flawed in many ways. Those who need it the most don't have access to it and can't afford it. People are dying from diseases that can easily be preventable such as obesity or diabetes. The ER is the only form of universal healthcare we have. By law, hospitals are required to stabilize anyone who walks into the ER even if they lack insurance. People who lack insurance would go to the ER to get treated for high blood pressure. Our tax dollars go to these facilities, but I believe that these tax dollars should be directed toward additional programs (preventive education) that help the low-income communities instead. I chose to focus my project on Los Angeles because it's a diverse community that is mostly consist of minorities and immigrants. These people are considered as vulnerable populations as many of them lack access to healthcare. The factors that contribute to low income include gentrification (increase cost of local goods), high rent, lack of education, stress, unavailable grocery stores, etc. As a public health major, I am interested in healthcare inequality and ways to overcome this issue.
Opinions
"I think income inequality has major impacts on life. If you have high income the changes if you having a"healthier" way of living is undoubtedly greater than those who have low income. Having a high income gives you plenty of resources compared to those who come from poverty. Living in poverty can have negative influences on one's life. For example, it can lead to social injustice with the lack of resources it can be harder to live day by day" -Skylar Jung, 20, Eagle Rock
"Income inequality contributes to an individual's health in many ways. Screening and diagnostic tests may deter individuals from seeking care due to financial issues such as additional tests and screenings all cost money. Income inequality can also cause individuals to feel stressed, frustrated, or even depressed. These feelings can ultimately have a detrimental effect in the individuals' healths. "- Anna Liang (20)
"America should have a universal healthcare system. Low-income communities tend to fall further behind in life because they lack the essential resources to do well. More services should be funded to help these people out. The theory of "cumulative disadvantage" applies to this issue. Employers should offer insurance to its employees as well." - Jasmine, 19
Solution:
There are many ways to decrease income disparity. A public health approach can include making healthcare more accessible and affordable to everyone. The closest thing to universal healthcare in America is the ER which can cost thousands of dollars once a person is discharged. As for a civic engagement approach, one can simply help by donating their goods or helping someone else out when he/she is in need. Volunteering is one of the easiest way to help someone out. The city halls can host weekly meetings that promote health education and workshops that educate the locals. These education can range from healthy lifestyle/eating to how one can apply for Medi-Cal benefits or insurance. More social workers are needed to help these low-income people apply for insurance and offer them information.
References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4358215/
https://blueprint.ucla.edu/feature/to-be-sick-and-poor-in-los-angeles/
https://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/uninsured.html
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20180817.901935/full/
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