An Analysis of the Related Factors That Contribute to Health Disparities

This paper is meant to explain what a health disparity is and what key factors are accompanied by health disparities. We may talk as though all mankind are created equally however, this is actually not the case. There are many things which set people apart from one other, whether it be race, ethnic background, religious beliefs, geographic location, socioeconomic status, or even age. Each of these factors puts a different person at risk for various kinds of health disparities.

This paper mainly focuses on the rural health disparity in our nation today causing many American's to have a poor health status which puts them at risk for many diseases. Discussed in this paper will be what factors put a person at risk for this disparity and what healthcare members can do to help these people who are becoming more at risk for this every day.

Health disparities is defined by Healthy People 2020 as "a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage" (2014). In order to reduce these disparities, we must further look into the factors pertaining to the decrease in health. This will mean determining if it effects a certain racial group, people of a certain socioeconomic status, and in this case the geographic location and environment in which people live and grow in will reveal what steps need to be taken to end this health disparity.

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It is important to focus on those determinants which set people into different groups because when we can eliminate them it will have a positive effect on all people of the nation making us better as a whole. Health care members should realize that disparities continue to happen all over, not just in the United States and they should make themselves aware of what preventative measures they could be taking to reduce the risk of health disparities in rural locations. Healthcare members will need to understand that all people are different and therefor require different methods of care which fit to their specific needs or beliefs.

Many people today lack access to healthcare facilities or the means in which to pay for healthcare. These people often suffer from many of the factors which contribute to disparities such as inadequate education, participating in high risk behaviors, low socioeconomic status, and in this case especially, geographic location. It is important for the nurse to notice what setbacks their clients may have experienced or are currently adapting to and help them to change the factors which contribute to their declined health.

Rural health disparities are closely related to geographic location and socioeconomic status however, much research has been done to link this disparity with other relating factors such as race and ethnic background.

There are many risk factors which put a person in danger of declining health status. These may include their race, socioeconomic status, gender, age, or location. When discussing the topic or rural health disparities we tend to mainly focus on the geographic location as a predisposing factor. Many people live in rural areas where access to healthcare is limited. Although the United States thrives off medicine and all its new advances there are still some people who are not even able to regularly see a physician. This is because some areas are not developed enough to support the needs of all its inhabiting people.

For example, here in Fort Kent we are close to a few small hospitals however, if something happens to you and you need some kind of special care the closest large-scale hospital in Maine would be Eastern Maine Medical Center. This is at least a three-hour drive in perfect road conditions which is not always the case. Geographic location is a major risk factor in rural health disparities however, there are many more to consider.

Another risk factor is socioeconomic status. In larger, developing cities the cost of living can become very expensive. In order to keep up with this cost people have to ensure that they have a good job with the proper income to support their family. In rural areas, you will find that cost of living is cheaper however, this does not mean it is necessarily easier for those to live. It may become harder for them to find a job which pays well and comes with the benefits needed to help people with healthcare costs. In 2010 the Affordable Care Act was passed which forced all large businesses to have some kind of healthcare coverage for all employees, however this excluded small businesses. Often times in rural areas there are not enough large businesses to provide healthcare coverage to their employees leaving family members to support the cost all on their own.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pooled together statistically data to show which regions of the United States contributed the highest amount of mortality rate. This study revealed that the people who lived in the rural south would experience the highest mortality rate which was directly linked to their low life expectancy which was a year below the national average and in some communities, this was even three to four years lower than the national average Moy, E (2017). This study proves that people in low socioeconomic statuses who reside in rural communities are at a disadvantage to access healthcare and to promote self-wellness.

The CDC wrote an article explaining the high-risk behavior in which people from rural areas participated in. This included smoking, drinking, nutritional status, physical activity, and their sleeping patters. The research they had found highlighted the high-risk behavior of those living in rural areas. This study founded that rural residents were most likely to report four or five of these behaviors.

In rural communities, it is commonly found that parents who exhibit certain behaviors put their children at high risk for participating in such behaviors. This is where the cycle begins and also explains why it is harder for healthcare members to educate families on the risky behaviors they are participating in and how to change it around. There are many factors which contribute to rural health disparities and it is the nurses job to be an advocate and provide education to family members in order to promote wellness within the communities.

The most important role of a nurse is to be an advocate for their patient. They will need to understand which risk factors contribute to their disparity and design a plan to promote wellness in both their patient's life and in rural communities. Knowledge is one of the most valuable resources we can hold. Often times, people in rural community's lack access to the knowledge they need. The nurse may need to sit down and interview the patient in order to better understand them and focus on what changes need to be made. It is important to reassure the patient at every stride to success they make in order to help them to become healthy.

Nurses should explain to their patients that participating in risky behaviors only decreases their overall wellness. Instead of participating in these behaviors they should instead become more physically active and watch their diet. They should do away with all bad habits and focus on what makes them healthy. It is important to focus on small and large changes which contribute to the patient's success.

A nurse must also research for her patients, provide them with the means to do well, and assist them in affording healthcare. There are many foundations which support the assistance of healthcare cost for those families who are affected by low socioeconomic status and who otherwise would not be able to afford healthcare on their own.

In some communities, there are rural health clinics which provide free or reduced cost healthcare. For example, family planning clinics often assist their clients in affording the cost of women's health. They have a reimbursement program and even offer sliding scale fees which allow you to pay for your visit based on your income. Being aware of which clinics are willing to help people to promote wellness in their communities will ensure that after your clients are no longer under your care they are still able to be seen by a regular doctor and continue to receive care.

Nurses should educate their clients on the proper amount of exercise daily and weekly, what their diet should consist off, and how to cease all risky behaviors which may be contributing to their overall decline in wellness. The nurse should develop a care plan in which the client is willing to focus on the changes needed to be made and enact this plan so that they may change their lives and eventually become healthy people who can help others to promote overall wellness.

Health disparities occur every day all around us. It is vital that we as healthcare members recognize the differences which separate us as people and put an end to discrimination. Although people are different in many ways this does not conclude that they should receive different levels of healthcare. All people should be treated as equals and given the same opportunities to be educated and able to promote their own wellness regardless of their location, race, or socioeconomic status. Health care members need to acknowledge that there will be differences in people and they will need to change their way of providing care to their clients as people's needs will differ from one another. When healthcare members become aware of the cultural and moral backgrounds of which people come from, quality of care will rise and promote overall wellness for our nation.

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