Poverty and the Prevalence of Heart Disease - 2109 Words

Poverty and the Prevalence of Heart Disease Throughout the history of the United States, two things have always afflicted this great nation: inequality and disease. They have always had an effect on each other, as diseases have affected those from lower classes differently from those from upper classes. In our modern U.S. society, we face a specific disease, heart disease, which is now the leading cause of death in the United States and is part of a complex system of social problems (Center for Disease Control). The main social problem is the higher prevalence of heart disease among the poor than the non-poor. This social problem has lead me to the following research question: in the United States, how is poverty associated with the prevalence of heart disease? To answer this question I will define heart disease, why it is an issue needing our attention, and whom it specifically affects. I will then delve into the many social mechanisms that facilitate this trend and show how they all work together to create an environment in which the poor are more likely to deal with heart disease than the non-poor. The mechanisms involved are individual and institutional, meaning that they operate and would have to be addressed at either the individual or institutional level. The individual focused mechanisms include smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, factors from early in life, and mental factors. The institution focused ones include quality of healthcare and lack of access toShow MoreRelatedHealth D isparities: American-Indians and Diabetes1679 Words   |  7 Pagesobesity. The environment therefore plays a significant role in T2D etiology and efforts to control its prevalence tend to focus on lifestyle changes (Yates, Jarvis, Troughton, and JaneDavies, 2009, p. 1-2). For example, improved diet and exercise programs have been shown to reduce the risk of disease by 50% to 90%. 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