Amber Handbury

Civic Engagement

Definition of Civic Engagement from:

(2018). In American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/civic-engagement.aspx       

One useful definition of civic engagement is the following: individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation.

Definition of Civic Engagement from:

Civic Engagements Initiative (n.d.). In Seminole State College of Florida. Retrieved March 6, 2018, from https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/Seminole_State_University_Civic_engagement_model.pdf            

Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

My Definition of Civic Engagement:

Civic Engagement means individuals or groups of people who are working to make a difference in our communities by addressing issues of public concern.

Animal Cruelty

"Animal cruelty can be either deliberate abuse or simply the failure to take care of an animal. Either way, and whether the animal is a pet, a farm animal or wildlife, the victim can suffer terribly."-The Humane Society

"Neglect is not giving an animal necessary food, water, shelter or vet care. Because their misery is often prolonged, animals who die of neglect can suffer just as much as animals who are deliberately harmed."-The Humane Society

Animal cruelty is an incredibly wide spread issue that is more prevalent in our communities than most people are aware. The hard truth is that most cases of animal cruelty are never reported. Not only are the cases not often reported but cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to gather statistical data. 

General Facts

•  Surveys suggest that those who intentionally abuse animals are predominantly men under 30, while those involved in animal hoarding are more likely to be women over 60

• Animals whose abuse is most often reported:

• 70.1% Dogs

• 20.9% Cats

• 24.1% Other animals (generally horses and livestock)  

• Animal abuse abounds in the factory farm industry.

•   10,000 estimated puppy mills in the U.S.

250,000 animals fall victim to hoarding annually 

Dogfighting

• Fights average one to two hours, ending when one of the dogs cannot continue.

• The injuries inflicted and sustained by dogs participating in dogfights are severe and often fatal. 

• Typical dogfighting injuries include severe bruising, deep puncture wounds and broken bones. Dogs used in these events often die of blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion or infection hours or even days after the fight. 

Other Crimes Associated with Dogfighting

• Dogfighting, cockfighting and other forms of organized animal cruelty go hand in hand with other crimes

• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has prosecuted multiple cases where drug cartels were running narcotics through cockfighting and dogfighting operations.

• Dozens of homicides have occurred at cockfights and dogfights.

• The sale and use of illegal drugs is common at dogfights as well, and firearms and other weapons have been found at these events due to the large amounts of cash present.

Correlation with Human Violence

• Intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people.

• Data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or spouses.

• Pet abuse is one of the four predictors of domestic partner violence, according to a six-year "gold standard" study conducted in 11 metropolitan cities. 

• One survey reported that 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.

• Researchers have found that between 71% and 83% of women entering domestic violence shelters reported that their partners also abused or killed the family pet.

• In a study of families that were under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88% of the families.

• A 2001-2004 study by the Chicago Police Department "revealed a startling propensity for offenders charged with crimes against animals to commit other violent offenses toward human victims."  Of those arrested for animal crimes, 65% had been arrested for battery against another person.

• In a study that questioned 36 convicted multiple murderers, 46% admitted committing acts of animal torture as adolescents. And of seven school shootings that took place across the country between 1997 and 2001, all involved boys who had previously committed acts of animal cruelty. 

• Animal abuse in the form of neglect is often one of the first indicators of distress in the household. Whether owing to lack of empathy, mental illness, or substance abuse, a person who fails to provide minimal care for the family pet is more likely to neglect the basic needs of other dependents in the household. 

Shelters and Animal Homelessness

• Approximately 6.5 million animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Approximately 3 million don't make it out.

• The majority of shelter populations are comprised of strays, rescues and surrenders:

• Stray animals are often found on the streets and brought in by Good Samaritans or local law authorities. 

• Rescued animals often come from situations like animal hoarding, dog fighting rings and puppy mills. These animals often suffer from trauma and require extra care and rehabilitation.

• Surrendered animals are animals whose owners can no longer care for them due to financial, behavioral or other unforeseen barriers.

• Only about 50% of shelter dogs are adopted. 

• Only about 50% of shelter cats are adopted.

• Each, year approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized.

• About 710,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners.

Why This Issue Matters to Me

This issue matters to me because I have found a few strays before. When we find them we bring them to a shelter. We took care of one of the dogs we found for a while until we found her a good home. The others were left in the care of a shelter. There was one dog we found that we weren't able to bring to our local shelter, this one has always stuck in my memory. I was at my Dad's shop and a pit bull wondered in. The dog was very sweet and seemed friendly, but it also had a few scars and some scabbed over injuries. We were going to take her in to the shelter but she got away before we could. I have always wondered what happened to that dog. 

The dog in the image up above is my dog, Demon. We adopted him from our local shelter. Despite his name he is as sweet as they come. 

The black dog in the image on the right is of one of the dogs we found. This dog was brought to the local shelter. 

Other People Who Believe This Issue Matters

Dustin Garnet

Sonia

Camerin

Hitoe

All of the information in this blog can be found on the Humane Society and ASPCA websites.

References

(n.d.). In Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats. Retrieved from www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/facts/animal_cruelty_facts_statistics.html           

Shelter Intake and Surrender (n.d.). In ASPCA. Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender        

Who can afford housing in Los Angeles?

Who Can Afford Housing in Los Angeles?

Current House Price in LA?

Home prices in Los Angeles skyrocketed last decade, reaching the median value of $593,500 in the year of 2016, which is 25% higher than the median home price in California ($477,500) (U.S. Census, 2016). 

What about Rent Price?

Not only the home price, but rental price is also higher than state’s median price, marking $1,350 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,740 for multiple bedrooms (U.S. Census, 2016). 

However, while median rent in Los Angeles County has increased 32% since 2000, renter’s household income has decreased 3% (California Housing Partnership, 2017). When we think about median household income in Los Angeles at $54,432, which is about $10,000 less than California’s median income, it suggests that households earning median income barely afford their housing cost every month based on the 30% rule of thumb regarding the housing cost-to-income ratio (U.S. Census, 2016; California Housing Partnership, 2017).



Who is affected?


Living in decent, affordable, and reasonable housing is one of the first important basic
needs of all people. Housing affects people’s lives, as it can determine their access to work, education, and recreation. However, unfortunately, housing in Los Angeles is extremely expensive and many households are burdened by rising housing costs. Those families who are experiencing housing cost burden, allocating more than 30% of their income to housing, often forced to spend much less income left on other basic needs such as food, transportation, and healthcare. 


Researchers have found that there is the association between housing cost burden and overall health of people. Currently, many federal housing subsidies programs are focused on low-income families – whether the gross household income is under the federally identified income level – but it does not consider the living costs in different cities. Based on this measure, Los Angeles’ poverty rate is 18%, but when the cost of housing in Los Angeles is considered as a factor into the poverty measure, the rate goes up to 26% (California Housing Partnership, 2017), almost one third of households in Los Angeles are living in poverty. Even if it would take time and cost to help people in Los Angeles afford the decent housing, policymakers should come up with effective policies to help reduce housing crisis in a near future.

Am I affected by it?



Of course YES!
When it comes to housing cost in Los Angeles, it is not just problem of low-income families, but middle-income and working-classes' problem too. So the rule of thumb is that people should not spend more than 30 % of their income on housing. But finding a decent apartment in Los Angeles meeting such a standard is nearly impossible. I am living in Koreatown, Los Angeles, and currently allocating more than 30% of household income to housing. If you are left with less money in your pocket, it is obvious that you will have to cut other expenses. It affects the choice you made over where you shop for grocery (Whole Food Market versus corner grocery shop), lunch menu you choose ($9 white meat chicken salad versus dollar menu from Mcdonalds'), whether to buy health insurance or go uninsured ($250 monthly premium versus $0 and uninsured), and the list goes on. 


It is very hard to get people understand that the housing cost crisis is not for the poor. Raising the cost of housing in Los Angeles will soon make it harder for people to stay in the middle class. As many of Angelinos are thinking about move out of the expensive city, I am also hoping to move to another state in search of more affordable housing.  

Through this project, I talked to few people who felt the same way about rising cost of housing in Los Angeles and commented about this issue.

Kevin (Los Angeles)

"Rising cost of housing affects me significantly. I started to limit myself to a leisure, foods I eat, places I go, and social life. And after all, I will end up with no money in my savings account." 

Jasmin (Los Angeles)

"I wanted to move out of my parents' apartment from a few years ago, but it is hard to afford a single apartment room for $1,800 by myself. Like many others, I have a car payment, car insurance, phone bill, internet bill, and grocery to pay on top of rent. I see many friends and families around me leaving Los Angeles to Las Vegas, not for better jobs or pay, but because housing price is so much cheaper.

Iris (Los Angeles)

"Living with roommates, sharing kitchen and bathroom, is sometimes inconvenient experiences. But what can I do? By sharing a house with roommates, I have about $500 to $700 more to spend on other basic necessities than renting an apartment in Los Angeles. So I have to bear with inconveniences. 

References

California Housing Partnership (2017). Los Angeles County Renters in Crisis: A Call for

Action. Retrieved from http://1p08d91kd0c03rlxhmhtydpr.wpengine.netdnacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Los-Angeles- County-2017.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau (2016). American Community Survey 1-year estimates. Retrieved from

Census Reporter Profile page for Los Angeles CA https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US0644000-los- angeles-ca/

Intimate Partner Violence/ Domestic Violence

 Intimate violence: What Can You Do? 

        Intimate Partner Violence is any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm.

*Physical aggression

*Psychological abuse

*Forced sexual intercourse

*Isolating a person from family and friends

*Monitoring a person's movements

*Restricting access to information or assistance.

        While doing my research I found that battered woman syndrome is a mental disorder that results from long-term abuse, which contributes to the cycle of violence. 

WHY BATTERED WOMEN STAY??

1. Individual factors

*Post-traumatic stress

*Fear

*Love and commitment 

*Resilience and ability to self-protect 

2. Family and cultural factors

*Bring shame on the family

*Religious and cultural beliefs about the family

*Concern for children

*Beliefs that abuse is normal

3. Community services 

*Inadequate social housing

*Limited education, retraining, or employment opportunities 

*Insufficient counseling or shelter resources

4. Social policies
* Immigration policies that do not allow sponsored individuals to leave their sponsors 

*Social welfare and housing policies that disadvantage single mothers

*Mandatory reporting to child welfare of children witnessing abuse 

CONTINUUM OF INTIMATE VIOLENCE 

Intervention Programs for Intimate Partner Violence !!!!!!!

*Programs for child witnesses of violence 

-aimed at preventing future harm.

* Programs for victims of violence

-aimed at providing emergency assistance and increasing available choices.

*Programs for batterers

-aimed at stopping violent behavior 

1. Yessenia Barcenas
2. 
   
3. "It is important to make people aware of domestic violence as it can affect others besides the victim."
4. 
   

Nancy Juarez

"Violence is never the answer ! There is always a safe way out. "

Chris Chacon

"There is NEVER any excuse for abuse, Bad times don't last" 

1. 
   
2. 
   
   Reflection
3. 
   
   Intimate partner violence is important to me because I know a very strong woman that endured violence for seven years. She was too afraid to leave her boyfriend because of their children.  For seven years he brain washed her, making her believe his abusive behavior was appropriate. It took her a long time to realize that she was in an unhealthy relationship. The toughest thing for her was to open up and let others back into her life as she suffered from flashbacks and anxiety. On a good note, she received professional help and strengthened her relationship with her children. Ultimately, I chose this topic because I want others to recognize domestic violence and the methods to prevent it from occurring to you or others. 

Even celebrities endure domestic violence so can YOU!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzZNg0Eozu8 

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2006). Dating violence fact sheet. Retrieved from http.//www.cdc.gov/nipc/dvp/dating_violence.htm 

Villines, Zawn. “Battered Woman Syndrome: Definition, Symptoms, and Getting Help.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320747.php.

 "Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence." Womenshealth.gov,Nov.2017,www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/domestic-violence.

Melissa Plasencia- Child Abuse

Child Abuse 

Child abuse is an issue that has increased tremendously over the years and throughout the world. It is very important due to the fact child maltreatment causes a child to experience cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and difficulty in school. Some of these experiences can even lead to the death of a child. Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to repeat the cycle of violence as they get older. Studies show that the total lifetime economic cost due to new child maltreatment cases in a single year is estimated at $124 billion in the U.S. It is also estimated that 702,000 U.S. children were documented victims of maltreatment in 2014. 

 For my civic engagement blog I chose this issue because it is relevant to me due to the fact I work with children everyday in a classroom setting. I have personally witnessed these behavioral changes among some of the children with the following outcome of child maltreatment. I have chose to interview 3 individuals who work with young children using the few questions that follow:

1)  Have you ever witnessed child abuse or behavioral changes in a child due to child maltreatment?

2) How would you handle the issue of child abuse if you knew it was taking place amongst a young individual?

3) How do you think this issue could be prevented?

Christy Hernandez

1) "I have personally never witnessed child abuse but I have witnessed a child who always came to daycare very tired and not very engaging with other children. I did suspect it had to do with the child's family life at home."

2) "If I ever witnessed child abuse I think I would call child services immediately since I do work in a daycare center and thats the first thing we usually are told to do."

3) "I think no matter what there will always be mean people, but the best we can do is observe the children for usual behavior."

        

Christine Marcelo

1) " Working with children for so many years I can find a million ways children are mistreated! I have seen parents who do not feed their children right and the child comes sick all the time, I've seen parents who discipline their children harshly, all of these things count as child abuse in this day and age."

2) " Although parents do mistreat their children, I do understand they have their own ways of raising their child even though it may not seem like abuse to them. If I ever saw it and knew it was harming the child, I would get the police and child services involved and make sure the parent is fully aware of the issue."

3)  I think it is a sense of being a mother and father, if your not ready to take on a huge responsibility DONT HAVE KIDS!"

Lesley Torrero 

1) " I have experienced a child being abused before. It was a single mother of 3 that would drop her child off with bruises. The child did not eat much at school and had very bad behavior. He would cry for absolutely no reason possibly just for attention. This child was 8 years old." 

2) "After having the child admit to being beaten by his mom, the police and child services were involved. The school and child's daycare are being interviewed about the child's family life and the mother has a court day coming up."

3) " Most of the time we may not notice children who are being abused in any way at home because they hide it so good, but I believe there are programs and classes parents can get involved in to understand the importance and guidelines there are when it comes to disciplining a child."

Reflection

After doing more research on this topic, I got a greater understanding of civic engagement and how different people in the community come together in different ways under the same issue. After interviewing different people in my community I found it very interesting how everyone had their own story and perspective over child abuse. I knew that the people who worked in schools, education centers, and daycares would have a higher rate in suspecting child neglect. I did not face many challenges looking for people who had similar thoughts on this issue because I work at a child center and know many people who also work with young children. As mentioned before it was not very surprising to hear this feedback because child abuse happens all the time and usually teachers or any  supervisor who works with young kids will experience a time where they know a child who gets mistreated. If I were to do my project differently I think I would aim toward people who do not have children or work with them. I would have loved to see how much more different their thoughts on this topic would have been. I do feel this topic was successful and important facts and opinions were stated because this something society should be aware about. I believe that child abuse does affect our communities greatly with the sense that we are how we are raised.

References

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2016). Child abuse and neglect: Consequences. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/childmaltreatment/consequences.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau. (2016). Child maltreatment 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2014

 

Gun Control

According to the US news, schools all across America want stricter gun control laws. From the results of a poll on stricter gun laws, almost half, 45% of the students said they felt stricter laws were necessary. One of the proposals was raising the age of being able to own a gun to 21, which many people agreed with. The other proposal was arming our teachers, however over half, 55% disagreed.

According to the US news article, Trump is definitely interested in improving the background check system. He made it very clear that he wants to still support the second amendment. The main consideration for this gun control meeting was to keep schools safe, mental health reform, and also to keep guns away from dangerous people.

A recent poll shows that more than 22% of Americans own one of more guns, this poll also shows that more than half of gun owners are men rather than women. Many gun owners refer back to the Second Amendment when asked about guns. It is said that they own them for the purposes of local home invaders and protection. Different states have different laws, also over time laws have become very different. For example, back in the year of 1643 it was required of at least one man per household to own a firearm for protection against Native Americans. Now, men have the option of owning a gun with a thorough background check, waiting periods, and proper registration to either purchase or sell a gun. On February 20, 2018 the US Supreme Court ruled a 10-day waiting period.
It was not until June 27, 2016 that the Supreme Court ruled that anyone convicted of "recklessly" using a gun would disqualify an individual from being able to own a gun.

For my Civic Engagement blog I chose the topic of Gun Control. Gun Control is definitely a nation wide issue at the moment. I chose to interview 3 different individuals and ask them all the same questions. The questions I chose to interview them with were as follows:

1. Are you pro or anti gun control? And why?

2. Do you believe providing our teachers with guns is a good idea?

3. Do you believe raising the age for owning a gun would help? 

Mario Ramirez

1. "I'm pro gun control, I strongly believe in the right to bear arms. However I do believe there should be a few restrictions when it comes to guns, also a thorough background check must be given. For example, the Las Vegas shooter was completely normal, no history of psychological disorders so it's very unpredictable with people. I do believe letting people make their own choices is very important. The whole country shouldn't be held accountable for the mistakes of others." 

2. "Yes I do however with proper quarterly training every 3 months. Also I believe the teachers should be given a thorough background check as well before given a gun." 

3. "Age isn't the issue. I don't believe raising the age would help. Here in the United States you have to be 25 to be a cop, and 18 to join the military. When it comes to other countries, there are no gun laws like we have. In the third world countries they believe in killing for their religion. Everyone should have the right to make their own choice. 

Ana Ornelas

1. "I'm anti gun control, there's a lot of people who have guns and aren't trained to have them. They're not emotionally or intellectually competent to own them."

2. "No, if I were a teacher I wouldn't want the authority to own a gun. I'd be scared, in a classroom children should feel safe and with a gun kids would be uncomfortable. If a kid gets a hold of the gun it would be very dangerous for everyone as well."

3. "I don't believe it would help completely, however it'd definitely be a stepping stone. I've read somewhere that your frontal cortex which is the part of the brain that makes decisions isn't fully developed until the age of 25. Perhaps raising the age to 25 would be a great start."

Beatrice Ramirez

1. "I'm pro guns, I believe in banning idiots, not guns. If you purchase a gun you should be given a thorough background check. I believe guns are needed for protection."

2. "I believe not. It can be frustrating being a teacher depending on the student. Students have been hit before by teachers, also it'd be difficult for a student to concentrate knowing their teacher has access to a gun. Even if a teacher is armed, there are still possibilities of being caught off guard by a school shooter and still getting hurt."

3. "No, I don't think it'd help because now and days you can get a gun at any age if one really is determined to get one."

Reflection

I chose this topic because I felt it is a very big social topic that many individuals have different opinions about. While interviewing my chosen individuals, I discovered that everyone has a different opinion when it comes to gun control. There are many people for it and many people against it even after the tragic events our country has faced. I did receive feedback that surprised me, for example the question I asked about arming our teachers. Some of the people I interviewed were for arming teachers, they thought it was a great idea when others thought it was a horrible idea. This is a perfect example of how different our society is and shows that nobody's opinion is right or wrong. 

References

“Background of the Issue - Gun Control - ProCon.org.” Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted in the United States?, gun-control.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006436.

“Home.” NRA.ORG, home.nra.org/.

“Poll: High School Students Overwhelmingly Support Stricter Gun Control.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, www.usnews.com/news/data-mine/articles/2018-03-22/poll-high-school-students-overwhelmingly-support-stricter-gun-control.

work in rogress

Obesity Among LA (Emily Waldrup)

Research 
When we think about epidemics what comes to mind is usually a breakout of a virus such as the measles, chicken pox, or AIDS, but what never comes to mind is obesity. Obesity is a rapidly rising epidemic that is rising among the world, especially in America. What is obesity? Obesity is an issue where someone has excessive body fat, or having a BMI over 30. Obesity consequently leads to cardiovascular disease, a range of cancers, and diabetes.  What seems to be common among obesity is that they affect people of low income. According this image, we can see that the highest obesity prevalence lies within East Compton, Inglewood, and south LA, which are low income areas. A study was done to see how the relation between low income and obesity rates. A study among women and their income rate showed that "higher minimum wage showed more underweight in women", meaning less obesity. (

This an huge issue for our healthcare system and causing more debt in medical bills. According to the  California Center for Public Health Advocacy, obesity is costing the state of California around $41 billion dollars a year. Los Angeles spends around $11.9 billion a year from health care costs concerning obesity. This is insane! Obesity is causing people to have so many health issues that they have to constantly visit the hospital racking up medical bills. Obesity is also causing people to become so ill that they can't work, digging the whole deeper for financial instability. Why is the rate of obesity rising so rapidly? I think this has a lot to do with convenience, money, and our social culture. A lot of low income families put a lot of time into work and how easy is it for a parent or an adult to just grab FAST and CHEAP food for themselves and their family. After a long day at work you just want to relax and not meal prep for who know how long, so fast food seems to shed the brighter light. America is a fast past country and as time has progressed, so has technology. We as Americans are living more sedentary lives. "Between 1910 and 1970, the share of people employed in jobs that are highly active like farm workers and laborers fell from 68 to 49 percent." Even today people are much car dependent, rather than expending energy in public transportation." In order to decline obesity rates it's important to provide people with knowledge and help them become more aware. Many people believe it's cheaper to eat fast food all the time, in actuality it's less expensive to grocery shop and prepare meals. America has really lost touch with their relationship with food and the beauty of cooking.

Personal
Obesity and poor eating habits affect me now and in the future. I have a lot of friends who issues with eating poorly and who are battling with obesity. This issue will affect me in the future because I've chosen to study nutrition and plan to be a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. This field of work deals widely with low income families and people who are in a constant battle of eating healthy or finding the knowledge of a healthier pathway. Ever since high school I've been trying to help friends and family members to choose a healthier lifestyle. It hurts me to see people want to try to be healthy and change their ways, but continue to struggle or find motivation within them. I used to visit my mother in Europe in the summer and winter breaks and I would come back to America with a little bit of culture shock. The culture shock was stemmed how much America eats so badly and the size of people in America versus the size of people around Europe, it's very alarming and scary. Being a nutrition major your natural instinct is to truly make a change and really help and understand people battling health issues and obesity. This is an issue that will be live on for a long time, so it's important to take action as soon as possible.

"I'm from Northern California and when I moved to Los Angeles for college I was so shocked to see prevalent obesity was. I'm a soon to be registered nurse so people battling obesity will always be a big concern to me."

-Heather Camerer

"I grew up eating fast food, this was because I grew up in a low income family and the easiest affordable food was fast food. Because I ate so awful when I was younger it kind of changed me and now I'm a gym freak who is constantly obsessing about I eat."

-Devin Deshaun

"I grew in LA and saw a lot of my friends fall into bad eating habits and being less physically active. My whole life I've been eating healthy and I've been trying to influence my friends to try healthier options and become more active such as playing golf, which is actually my favorite hobby."


-Kim Lang

References   

Cutler, D. M., Glaesar, E. L., & Shapiro, J. M. (2003). Why Have Americans Become So Obese? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17(3), 93-118.

J, F., & A, N. (2007). Economic policy and the double burden of malnutrition: cross-national longitudinal analysis of minimum wage and women's underweight and obesity. Public Health Nutrition.

J, F. (n.d.). Public Health Los Angeles. In Obesity and Morality Rates in Los Angeles County . Retrieved from http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/reports/habriefs/2007/Obese_Cities/Obesity_2011Fs.pdf

Healthcare - Anna Kazaryan

Having access to proper healthcare is an important issue in our community. From young age to old age, we can experience health conditions that need to be taken care of properly. Yet, free healthcare is not accessible to everyone in our country.

Accessibility to good healthcare can be affected by various factors. The National Healthcare Disparities Report (2011) finds that racial/ethnic minorities and individuals with low socioeconomic statuses are not proportionately represented in having access problems (2011). The substantial cost of medical expenses can be a burden for middle class individuals, let alone low income individuals. Without access to healthcare, screenings and prevention to diseases or disorders is postponed, and often it is too late to do anything about it.

            The Affordable Healthcare Act of 2010 did increase the amount of people insured. However, gaining healthcare does not even people get the coverage they need. There are disparities between people as the healthcare system is not the same across populations. 

“Health insurance coverage helps patients gain entry into the health care system. Lack of adequate coverage makes it difficult for people to get the health care they need and, when they do get care, burdens them with large medical bills.” (healthypeople.gov)

According to healthypeople.gov Uninsured people are:

• More likely to have poor health status
• Less likely to receive medical care
• More likely to be diagnosed later
• More likely to die prematurely

My community is filled with individuals of diverse backgrounds and most are low income families like my own. Therefore, this issue is of relevance to my family and me as well. Furthermore, within my family and acquaintances, there are older individuals with health issues that need attention. Even the young can need healthcare. I myself have a health issue that requires me to have access to healthcare and be able to get my prescriptions every month. If it was not for my access to healthcare, then I would not be able to diagnose my disease quickly or be able to maintain it like I have for the past five years. However, I only hope that my coverage does not change or else it would be costly and perhaps I will not be going to checkups as often.

 

“My name is Harry and I myself can attest to the issue of the health care system in America. It is not affordable for low income families like mine. I didn’t have health for the last eight years, and because of the new law I ended up getting fined for not having insurance. Now I pay a monthly premium for something I use year to year.”

                                      

  

This is Ruzanna, she was recently diagnosed with a blood cancer called myeloma. This also caused her to have kidney failure. Thankfully her healthcare allowed her to proceed with treatments such as chemotherapy and hemodialysis. However, this month she received news that her insurance company was closing and was assigned to a new company. Unfortunately neither of her current specialists, nor her primary care physician is in the new medical group. Even in her condition she faces the disparities of healthcare coverage.

 "As an American who has had both free healthcare in a low income household and paid healthcare after working, I believe health care coverage should be provided without a cost by the government. Not every working person can afford or have access to decent coverage, and not all policies are created equal."

 References:

Access to Health Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/Access-to-Health-Services 

Highlights From the 2011 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhdr11/key.html