Chapter 13 Health and Health Care (Chapter Review)

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A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering definitions, theories, global and U.S. disparities, health-care system problems, and proposed reforms from Chapter 13: Health and Health Care.

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44 Terms

1
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What are the three dimensions included in the sociological definition of health?

Physical, mental, and social well-being.

2
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How does sociology define medicine?

The social institution that seeks to prevent, diagnose, and treat illness and to promote health in its various dimensions.

3
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What is meant by health care in sociology?

The provision of medical services to prevent, diagnose, and treat health problems.

4
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According to functionalism, why is good health important for society?

Because good health and effective medical care are essential for the smooth functioning and stability of society.

5
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Name the three expectations Talcott Parsons called the 'sick role.'

1) The sick person is not held responsible for their illness; 2) The sick person must want to get well; 3) The sick person should seek competent help and follow medical advice.

6
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In Parsons’s view, what characterizes the physician-patient relationship?

It is hierarchical: the physician gives instructions and the patient follows them.

7
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State one criticism of Parsons’s sick-role concept.

It fits acute illness better than chronic illness, ignores social inequality, and approves a hierarchy that may silence patients.

8
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What core assumption does conflict theory make about health and medicine?

Social inequality shapes both the quality of health and access to health care; the disadvantaged get sicker and receive inadequate care.

9
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Give an example of a social problem that became medicalized, according to conflict theorists.

ADHD in children, obstetrical care replacing midwives, or eating disorders defined primarily as medical issues.

10
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How does symbolic interactionism view illness?

As a social construction: conditions are considered illnesses only when society defines them as such.

11
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Provide one interactionist insight about doctor–patient encounters.

Physicians manage impressions—white coats, complex jargon, patients addressed by first name—to display authority.

12
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What statistic illustrates global inequality in infant mortality (low vs. high-income nations)?

About 70 deaths per 1,000 live births in the poorest nations versus 5 per 1,000 in the richest.

13
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Which region holds roughly two-thirds of the world’s HIV/AIDS cases?

Sub-Saharan Africa.

14
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What common health-care model exists in industrial nations other than the United States?

National or universal health insurance funded and administered largely by government.

15
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List two documented advantages of national health insurance systems.

Lower infant mortality and longer life expectancy at a lower per-capita cost than the U.S. system.

16
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Between 1900 and 2010, how did U.S. average life expectancy change?

It rose from about 47 years to about 78 years.

17
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Define social epidemiology.

The study of how health and illness vary by sociodemographic characteristics, revealing health disparities.

18
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Which income group reports ‘fair or poor’ health most often in the United States?

People with family incomes below the poverty level.

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Name two reasons poverty leads to worse health outcomes.

Greater stress and limited access to quality medical care (also poor housing, nutrition, education).

20
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How many fewer years can African American men born in 2007 expect to live compared to white men?

Almost six years fewer (70.0 vs. 75.9).

21
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What is environmental racism?

Disproportionate exposure of communities of color to pollution, toxins, and environmental hazards that harm health.

22
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Explain the morbidity paradox between men and women.

Women suffer more non-fatal illnesses, yet men have shorter life expectancy and more life-threatening diseases.

23
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Give one sociological reason men die earlier than women.

Men’s gender socialization encourages risk behaviors (smoking, heavy drinking, dangerous work) and reluctance to seek medical help.

24
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What percentage of Americans lacked any health insurance before the 2010 reform?

About 16%, or nearly 50 million people.

25
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Identify two main reasons U.S. health care costs are so high.

Enormous administrative costs due to private insurance, and a fee-for-service model that allows high prices for procedures.

26
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What is denial of care in HMOs?

Restrictions on tests, procedures, or drugs that patients’ physicians believe are necessary but the HMO will not cover.

27
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State one example of racial or gender bias in U.S. medical treatment.

Women with heart symptoms are less likely than men to receive cardiac catheterization; African Americans receive fewer bypass surgeries.

28
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Estimate how many U.S. patients die each year from hospital mistakes.

Almost 200,000.

29
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Why is lack of hand washing in hospitals a critical issue?

It causes about 100,000 patient deaths annually from hospital-acquired infections.

30
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Define self-referral in medical practice.

Physicians sending patients to facilities or labs in which they have a financial stake, potentially leading to unnecessary tests.

31
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What is integrated care (high-touch medicine)?

Teams of providers coordinate care for chronically ill patients to reduce hospitalizations and costs.

32
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List two reforms that could lower U.S. health-care costs without single-payer insurance.

Using salaried physicians rather than fee-for-service; expanding electronic medical records; reducing unnecessary tests.

33
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How would a single-payer system theoretically reduce administrative costs?

By replacing multiple private insurers with one government payer, eliminating marketing and complex billing.

34
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Name a physicians’ organization that advocates for U.S. single-payer health insurance.

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).

35
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Explain the public-health concept of preventive care.

Efforts aimed at preventing illness before it occurs, such as vaccinations, healthy lifestyle promotion, and early childhood interventions.

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Which two childhood conditions are rising in prevalence and linked to U.S. health disparities?

Obesity and asthma.

37
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What is meant by medicalization?

Transforming a non-medical issue (e.g., childbirth, ADHD) into a medical problem requiring professional treatment.

38
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Give one criticism of conflict theory’s view on physicians’ motives.

It may be overly cynical, ignoring genuine medical benefits that scientific medicine provides.

39
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Which federal programs provide U.S. public health insurance, and who do they cover?

Medicare for those 65+ or disabled; Medicaid for select low-income individuals and families; SCHIP for low-income children.

40
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What is the approximate per-capita health expenditure in the United States (2009)?

About $7,960.

41
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How does stress physiologically harm health, according to social epidemiology?

Stress impairs the immune system and other bodily processes, increasing disease risk.

42
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Why are rural areas especially vulnerable to physician shortages?

Hospitals and clinics are sparse; lower pay and isolation discourage specialists, limiting access to timely care.

43
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Identify one strategy to improve world health noted in the chapter.

Wealthy nations providing funds, equipment, and public-health expertise to poor nations (e.g., via WHO, Doctors Without Borders).

44
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Summarize a key sociological takeaway regarding health and inequality.

Health problems both reflect and reinforce broader social inequalities tied to class, race/ethnicity, and gender.