BBH 302 Final Exam

Study Guide

Disparities

-refer to differences in health outcomes or access to care that are systematic, avoidable, and often considered unfair.

-typically linked to social, economic, or environmental disadvantage and are preventable when efforts are made to address the root causes

Differences

variations that may arise from a multitude of factors, including genetics, individual behaviors, personal choices, or even random chance.

Morbidity

refers to the state of being diseased, unhealthy, or having a disability within a population

focuses on life with disease and poor health

Mortality

-death within a population

-deaths due to specific causes, factors contributing to it

Incidence

refers to the rate at which new cases of a disease occur in a population over a specified period. It measures the probability of individuals without the disease developing the disease during that time

-just new cases

Prevalence

total number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a particular time

-both new and old cases

income

flow of money a person earns over time, usually from wages, salaries, tips, or bonuses. It is typically measured monthly or yearly and is used to pay for everyday expenses.

wealth

total value of what a person owns minus what they owe. It includes assets like savings, investments, property, and retirement accounts.

health equity

everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health, regardless of social, economic, or environmental factors.

health wealth gradient

refers to the observed relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health outcomes. It describes how individuals with higher wealth tend to have better health than those with lower wealth.

social determinants of health

conditions in environments where people are born, live, learn, work , play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes and risks;

-5 domains: health care and quality, neighborhood and built environment, economic stability, social and community context and education access and quality

sociological imagination

ability to see the impact of social forces on our private lives; allows us to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life; neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both; sociological imagination enables us to grasp history + biography and the relation between the toes within society

fundamental cause theory

must contain: multiple risk factors and multiple disease outcomes; can assists with (or create barriers to) avoiding health risks; have effects on health outcomes even when risk factors change ; SES and racism

life course perspectives

our health is shaped by experiences from days past (since in utero)
- structural & developmental

developmental: interested in critical/sensitive time periods of development (up to age 5)
- interventions later in life will do nothing to fix the issue if not addressed early on

structural: how various structural level problems accumulate over the lifespan and how it may affect us later in life
- EX: having a parent incarcerated, growing up in poverty

cliff model and levels of preventation

primary: reducing risk and keeping individual disease/injury free
secondary: aid in early detection or identification of disease or injury, or treatment to prevent further problems (screening/detecting things)
tertiary: treatment and rehab (medication, surgery)

indirect and direct pathways to poor health

Direct pathways include factors like unhealthy lifestyle choices (poor diet, lack of exercise, substance abuse), chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes), infections (e.g., flu, COVID-19), accidents, and genetic conditions. Indirect pathways involve socioeconomic factors (poverty, limited healthcare access), environmental influences (pollution, unsafe living conditions), social determinants (discrimination, social isolation), and cultural norms that affect health behaviors and access to care. Both pathways contribute to overall health risks and outcomes.

Heckler Report

documented significant health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, revealing they suffered disproportionately from illness and death compared to the general population

weathering

refers to a theory that explains how cumulative stressors, particularly chronic social, environmental, and psychological stress, can negatively affect a person's health over time. This concept is closely related to the idea of allostatic load, which refers to the cumulative wear and tear on the body from repeated exposure to CHRONIC stress.

institutionalized/structural racism

structural barriers; inaction in face of need -> omission (not acting or preventing); structured opportunities; unearned privilege

personally mediated racism

refers to the prejudiced actions, discriminatory behaviors, or biased attitudes exhibited by individuals towards others based on racei

internalized racism

occurs when a person internalizes societal attitudes or prejudices, often leading them to believe that they are inferior or less deserving of equal treatment because of their race

racial wealth gap

drastic and growing difference in wealth accumulation between Black and White individuals
- whites have MORE wealth than blacks due to redlining neighborhoods which increases wealth whereas other neighborhoods aren't "worth" as much (less wealth given back)

Jim Crow

slavery ends with 13th Amendment.... states put laws to PUBLICALLY segregate POC from white people

- illegal interracial marriage

-set of laws, practices, and customs that systematically marginalized African Americans and other people of color, denying them equal rights and opportunities.

- EX: redlining

mass incarceration

extremely HIGH rates of imprisonment of African American males

due to: many historical events

due to:

- 13th Amendment loophole (abolished slavery... could send to prison instead)

- War on Drugs (Nixon- lied about problems making it seem like 1 specific group)

- convict leasing

- fears of being "soft on crime"

- 3 Strikes Law (increasing sentencing for repeat felony offenders)

- mandatory minimums

environmental injustice

Michigan Flint water crisis
- switched water source to Flint River.... water was NOT treated with chemicals
- caused pipes to corrode... lead poisoning (neurological changes & cognitive delays... CHILDREN MOST AFFECTED)
- mainly low income, black populations affected

hispanic paradox

in US have better health than average population despitehigher rates of poverty, lack of education, poor access to healthcare

(compared to non-Hispanic whites)

- have family ties & social network support

immigrant health paradox

first person to immigrate to US is healthier than average American & people not making immigration
- have a BETTER life expectancy, health outcomes, lifestyle/behaviors, social position
- longer residence in the US, health protections begin to wear off.... decreasing health (with increasing adoption of American behavior)

model minority

perception that Asians are law-binding, successful, & smart (math, science)
- society says they have INCREASED education rates (THEY DO NOT)
- problematic because different groups are conjoined to one.... NOT ALL have similar traits
- LACK attention to (and interventions for) health needs

opioid crisis (waves, risk factors, treatment options, etc)

physicians prescribed to treat pain.... 2021 highest overdoses was fentanyl
- 4 waves
- treatments: medication assisted treatment & psychosocial/behavioral treatments
- drivers: over-prescribing from physicians AND drug companies underselling risks & OVERselling benefits

1) 1998-2010: rise in prescription opioid overdose deaths
2) 2010-2014: rise in heroin overdose drugs
3) 2014-2019: rise in strong synthetic opioids (fentanyl) overdose deaths
4) 2019-now: rise in COMBINATION of psychostimulant drugs & strong synthetic opioids

rural mortality penalty

HIGHER age-adjusted death rates in rural than in urban areas
- exists for 10 leading causes of death (heart disease, cancer, COPD, diabetes, suicide, & self-reported health)
- especially in South.... but DIFFERENT for every area

medicalization of substance misuse/use

medicalization of substance misuse has led to a more compassionate and treatment-focused approach for some, it has also revealed racial disparities in how different groups are treated, with Black, Latino, and Native American communities often facing criminalization rather than medical treatment. Addressing these disparities requires systemic change, increased access to healthcare, and a focus on equity in substance use treatment and harm reduction strategies.

Why is history important?

physicians ask for health and family history to effectively treat patients, cannot address disparities without it

sociological imagination and its application to course content

how personal experiences are often not isolated but shaped by historical and social forces, allowing them to better understand the connection between individual lives and the larger societal context. This perspective is crucial for addressing social issues and developing solutions that consider both personal experiences and systemic problems

relationship between stress and health: stress response system

Stress can have significant effects on health, particularly when the stress response system is triggered frequently or for prolonged periods. Here's how the stress response system works and how it impacts health:

race and limitations of current racial categories for health related efforts

racial categories continue to be used in health-related efforts, there is growing recognition of their limitations. Health disparities are often more closely related to socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental factors than to biological differences between races. Moving away from rigid racial categories and toward a more nuanced understanding of health disparities, which takes into account social determinants, genetics, and cultural factors, will lead to more effective and equitable health interventions.

factors that have contributed to changing distribution of wealth