Health Disparities

Now a days it is very common that people’s health depends on their income rate, social environment and the area we live in, and now the mortality rate is very remarkable between areas of the community, what does the mortality rate has to do with our location?
Here in San Antonio, diabetes mortality rate is very high but it is higher in some places than others, and this is because a person’s income influences their location, according to research data about diabetes mortality rate in Bexar county, areas that are located in the north have a lower mortality rate in the county. To compare the mortality and income rate between zip codes, I choose a zip code from an area of lower diabetes mortality rate and another one from an area with a higher rate.
78232 is a zip code located in the north side of the county, here the mortality rate is lower than in other areas, and 78237 which is located in the center, according to data in “community facts” the income rate in both areas changes significantly, people located in 78232 make an average of 65,887 a year and in 78237 drops to an average of 25,703 a year, so according to that information, where the income is higher, the mortality rate is lower, that is what also influences a person’s social group, and living areas, people live in places where they have access to all the accommodations they can afford to live better.

According to the article “Social status has a measurable effect on health” studies show what are the main causes of health disparities, mostly in the united states, even though health care has improved a lot and it is better than years before, not everybody can get it, and that is because some people have a lower income rate and cannot afford it as easy as someone with a higher rate, and that also influences a person’s location in the community which may lead to unhealthy environments such as toxic substances, violent household, dangerous working place and stress, so people tend to have more health issues than someone who earns more money.
If I was the major of San Antonio I would invest more money on building improved healthcare clinics all over the city no matter what the social status of people in each area is, so that way people can have better access to those facilities to go get checked more often for free, that way they can all prevent a more serious health issues that it is going to cost more money that poor people cannot easily afford.
Transportation also becomes an issue for health care access, many people do not go to a doctor because they don not have a way of transportation, so I would invest some more money in public transportation all around the city, that way everybody has easier access to a hospital when they are facing a more serious health problem that needs to be taken to a hospital. Also a doctor’s experience it is very important for patients to have a healthier life, and getting good experienced doctors from better hospitals to other hospitals located in lower income areas, that way everyone in the city are able to get doctors with the same experience level.
I think it is fair for everyone to get the same opportunities when it comes to health care regardless of their income or their location, because it is harder to improve a person’s living conditions and influences than improving health care access, it may not completely prevent people from getting sick, but it should reduce the risks for their health getting worse if they can get checked more often than they did before, also considering pre natal care for pregnant woman that need a doctor more often than anybody else, they have to be very healthy during their pregnancy and having a doctor close to their home, it is easier for them to get the required precautions to have a healthy baby, because according to the article “ Health Divides” studies show that the baby mortality rate has remained the same over the years but it should be lower now that health care has improved so much, but it has not been equally accessible for everybody, that is why woman get little to none pre natal care needed to have a healthy baby.
Some woman that did not have a good education have lower job opportunities, and need to work more to barely support themselves and that keeps them from focusing on their baby’s health and their own during pregnancy, also it is more common for low income pregnant woman to smoke or drink alcohol than higher income woman, which it is influenced by their living conditions and social group. In Conclusion, the main problem is not the quality of health care but the access everyone is getting, everywhere is different and in some places is harder to get the medical attention one needs to prevent a serious health problem or improve their family’s health, and most people would want to improve their health but their low level of education is a great disadvantage to get a better job and earn a higher income. Even though we take good care of ourselves we cannot prevent health issues that is why we all need constant medical attention.