Although we see advantages and disadvantages to socioeconomic statuses, health disparity - while evident - was not a topic of discussion for me and my peers. The fact that individuals with lower socioeconomic statuses have less than desirable health results is not surprising, but what we should focus on is their lack of resources. Middle-class and lower class citizen, have lower levels of education, accept riskier jobs, experience elevated stress associated with race, class or gender oppression and have limited access to health care. Research suggests that individuals near the poverty line have a higher rate of illness than all other income groups (Braveman, Cubbin, Egerter, Williams, & Pamuk, 2010).
In my opinion, diversity in the workforce will make health care more accessible, but will not improve better health care delivery alone. In 2012, people of color made up 36 percent of the workforce, but in comparison only 4 percent are CEO 's of business and 22 percent own businesses (Braveman, Cubbin, Egerter, Williams, & Pamuk, 2010). In addition to the numbers above, 52 percent of employers offer a high-deductible health plan, which has substantial out-of-pocket costs (Murphy, 2016). In turn, this means that while health care is available, only those that can afford the large out-of-pocket expenses will use it. I believe that education is the key to leading a healthier lifestyle but there are several other factors as well. The rapid increases in the costs of healthcare, lack of highly nutritional selections in
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(2016). Work, Stress, and Health & Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/work-stress-health.aspx
Braveman, P. A., Cubbin, C., Egerter, S., Williams, D. R., & Oamuk, E. (2010, April). Socioeconomic Disparities in Health in the United States: What the Patterns Tell Us. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from