Unit 18: Poverty and Health

Poor health and poverty are intertwined. The report estimates that 3 billion people survive on
less than two dollars a day, and this puts saving for unknown future expenses and paying for
health care out of reach for many people. Poverty tends to drive individuals to live in regions
where their earnings would allow them to enjoy better lives. These locations include poverty-
stricken neighbourhoods, including those where sanitary facilities are inadequate and
sanitation workers are in short supply. Living under these circumstances exposes the
inhabitants to numerous medical issues, and those who suffer from sickness may not have the
money to get the medicine they need. The consequence is that the poor are more susceptible
to the illnesses that are more prevalent in crowded slums, while the wealthy are better able to
prevent them. This article shows how sociological approaches to poverty and health are
understood by researchers.

Additionally, the publication delves into the research and government activities from the
viewpoint of the Social Scientists. The authors discuss the use of political views in medical
sociology while studying the patterns of health. They do so while mostly basing their work on
the UK. Many people feel that poverty is the inability to meet one's fundamental
requirements on a daily basis as an individual. It seems probable that these people will find
themselves in such a predicament in the future, and that poverty will persist (Chaudry &
Wimer, 2016, pg. 27). Kids from disadvantaged homes are also likely to eat poorly and be
deficient in the nutrients they need to support bodily functions. As a consequence, they are
malnourished, which means they are vulnerable to a variety of illnesses. When individuals
don't have enough money, they cannot buy the medicine. They may buy over-the-counter
medications to alleviate the frequent headaches, nausea, and bodily aches that go along with
various medical conditions. According to this, the higher the poverty level, the greater the
risk of death from illnesses such as simple ones (Kuo et al., 2016, pg. 137). Poverty also
causes you to be more susceptible to stress and sadness, which are often seen in those who
slip into deep thoughts of worry. Worrying about the source of the next meal, where to sleep,
and what to wear are things that only the economically disadvantaged have to deal with. To
the extent that such fears build, such concerns become anxiety, which in other instances
encourages individuals to take stimulants, which worsens their overall health. It is ideal for
individuals to have a high level of income to relieve stress since it provides them with
financial stability (Wickham et al., 2016, pg. 761).
AC 11.1: Two sociological approaches to poverty and health

Structural Theory of Poverty

Structural theory posits certain macro-level influences that contribute to increased poverty
among the people and communities in question. Socioeconomic influences include things like
demographic conditions and weak job markets, which cause individuals to stay in poverty
(Ghatak, 2015, Pg. 95). As per this concept, people have limited chances to reach their full
potential. Other possible examples
include, for instance, in dry and semi-
arid regions, individuals have less
options when it comes to developing
agriculture, which leads to protracted
droughts. The fact that people don't have
enough food means that they can only
spend their little extra money on things Source: Okalow, (2021)
they can consume, resulting in their What is poverty? It’s not as simple as you think

being impoverished (Benzeval et al.,

2014, pg. 54). As such, those who are less wealthy may have to pay more for this kind of
food, further promoting bad health. In this idea, strong desire for economic well-being is
restrained by limited access to natural resources such as water. The minority groups play a
significant role in this idea, since there are few political and powerful positions to back them
up.

Individualistic Poverty and Health

Poverty is seen as the result of individuals lacking certain assets, according to the
individualistic viewpoint. One way to interpret this concept is that individuals are responsible
for poverty that they start by their actions and behaviours, and they also lack the ability to
obtain better socioeconomic position. When studying the causes of poverty, researchers are
more likely to look at the answers on the behavioural and familial levels, which motivates
some individuals to be accountable for their poverty, bad health, and misery (Cooper et al.,
2016, 145). Individual actions that show irresponsibility and poverty causes go hand in hand.
Additionally, the welfare system has coerced individuals into agreeing to their dependence
and making it easier for them to give up working in order to meet their requirements, which
raises the levels of poverty (Davis & Cole, 2018, pg. 13). Another example is that the regions
that are adversely affected by unpredictable rainfall patterns tend to face hunger as a result of
the failure to grow adequate food. This has led the government agencies and non-profit
groups to help supply food and other basic necessities to those impacted by the disaster,
whose expectations of improved living conditions are diminished as a consequence. As
freebies are offered, individuals get complacent since they are 'full' and are therefore unable
to muster up the energy or finances necessary to make better decisions in the long term.

Due to their financial situation,

the poor have little option but
to consume whatever is
available to them, therefore
hindering their ability to
maintain a healthy diet.
Because of their financial
situation, the poor have no way
Source: Eagle online (2018) of getting appropriate medical
Lagos refuse
care if they are ill. Also, it is
impossible for any
governmental agency to grow or develop unless the people take care of themselves first
(Khullar & Chokshi, 2018). Due of this, the country's resources will ultimately be depleted
and the foodstuff to feed the starving people would run out. According to Marxists, the
greatest method to alleviate poverty is to rid the country of the dependency culture (Loibl,
2018, pg. 421). In order to implement this strategy, we will have to work on improving the
welfare programmes and crafting policies for determining whether the government assistance
programmes are appropriate.

AC 11.2: How Social Scientists' research and government initiatives have provided
greater insight into the link between poverty and health.

In the 1990s, a research project conducted in the U.K. examined the intricacies of childhood
poverty. To have a better perspective of the connection between poverty and health, one must
examine government policy and social scientific studies (Lucine Francis Ph.D. et al., 2018,
pg.10). Studies have shown that poverty results from labour market shifts and income
fluctuations. In short, when a married couple splits, their financial situation becomes worse
(Arcaya, Arcaya & Subramanian, 2015, pg. 80). As a result, the non-earning spouse finds
themselves suffering from poverty since they do not have a regular source of money. For this
reason, purchasing medical care becomes tough for a spouse, since basic necessities that
depend on the person themselves, such as food, clothing, and shelter, become very
challenging. When it comes to illnesses, if someone becomes sick, they may not seek medical
care or use medicines because they don't want to exacerbate their condition.

This individual continues to take worse health into consideration while looking for better
health care, even when confronted with serious illness. Unfair distribution of health and
death, according to the Black Report papers released in 1980, was reported. According to the
study, disparities in health status across various groups keep rising, even after the National
Health Service (NHS) was founded in 1948. (Carter & Reardon, 2014, pg. 7). Earnings,
education, and employment factors were associated with variations in the distribution of
wealth. The study says that the mortality rate was greater for males of social class V, than for
those in class 1.

The greater the economic level, the healthier the residents likely to be. A decrease in wages
or job loss is strongly linked to poverty. It is most likely that a reduction in total earnings
occurs in the U.K. due to a transition from full-time to part-time work, or from higher to
lower pay (Ngoma, & Mayimbo, 2017, pg. 7).

The government health care programmes aim to enhance the health of the general population.
A healthy country is one that is both rich and well-fed. Healthy people are more likely to be
active enough to engage in employment and other earnings endeavours (Tzeng, 2016, pg.
313). Reducing the amount of people who may need government assistance and other support
programmes will be achieved by doing this. Unhealthy individuals, for the most part, are
unable to work and, as a result, must rely on others for financial assistance, thereby putting a
greater burden on those who support them (Ngoma & Mayimbo, 2017, pg. 6).

AC 21.1: How political perspectives used in medical sociology are linked to patterns of
health providing an example of one factor that influences health chances.

Labour and conservative organizations in the UK both advocate for a more equitable
distribution of health and wealth. To implement such a strategy, the two have manifestos
outlining their views. An example is that the Labor Party has instituted a programme that
welcomes individuals to invest their time and efforts in changing the nation for the good of
everyone, but not only for a few people (Shildrick & Rucell, 2015). While the political
campaigns are designed to provide many inexpensive houses and employment for all people,
the manifesto supports this mission. Additionally, the conservative party supports cutting
government expenditure. In these cases, taxpayers have to pay less in taxes and, as a result,
contribute positively to their earnings.

Regulatory agencies that report to the local level regulate the majority of nations. Throughout
the U.K., there are many types of local governments, including local councils, county
administrations, and electoral districts (Krumer-Nevo, 2015, pg. 1800). Public services are
provided in this way in order to help as many people around the world. It would be
impossible for most people to ever obtain public services if all public services were
controlled at the national level (Howel et al., 2019). Dysentery and inadequate sanitation are
two examples of health risk factors. Services such as these will be overlooked, resulting in an
increase in water- and air-borne illnesses like cholera, typhoid, and amoeba (Thompson,
Goldberger & Elias, 2019).

Moreover, the youngsters have nowhere else to play and develop other than the depressing
surroundings in which they are raised. Due to this, the people who live in these places will
have less opportunities to maintain a healthy lifestyle than those whose local leaders devote
their efforts to the community for as long as possible. While health is usually linked to
poverty, that is not always the case. The article has shown important connections between
health and poverty in the U.K. and elsewhere. While poverty and poor health go hand in
hand, none of them can exist without the other. Low-income people are less likely to be able
to afford medical care, and therefore tend to have worse health. This individual's ill state also
impairs his ability to seek resources and put out a wide range of medical care, causing him to
become more impoverished. Societal approaches to health and poverty include individualistic
and structural views. According to the individualistic view, poverty occurs due to a lack of
ambition and a disinclination to labour. Structural theory contends that poverty is the result of
weak labour markets and demographics.
References

Arcaya, M.C., Arcaya, A.L. and Subramanian, S.V., (2015). Inequalities in health

Carter, B., (2018). Inequality and poverty: Toxic issues that impact on children’s health and
opportunities

Davis, R.R. and Cole, S., (2018). Healthcare in Appalachia and the Role of the Federal
Government

Davis, R.R. and Cole, S., (2018). Healthcare in Appalachia and the Role of the Federal
Government.

Eagle Online, (2018). “Lagos, PSP operators settle court case delaying CLI implementation”
[Online]. Available at: https://theeagleonline.com.ng/lagos-psp-operators-settle-court-case-
delaying-cli-implementation/ (Accessed on 03 August 2021)

Ghatak, M., (2015). Theories of poverty traps and anti-poverty policies. The World Bank
Economic Review,

Okalow, S. (2021). “What is poverty? It’s not as simple as you think” Worldvision [online].
Available at: https://www.worldvision.ca/stories/child-sponsorship/what-is-poverty
(Accessed on 03 August 2021)

Wickham, S., Anwar, E., Barr, B., Law, C. and Taylor-Robinson, D., (2016). Poverty and
child health in the U.K

Wickham, Sophie & Anwar, Elspeth & Barr, Ben & Law, Catherine & Taylor-Robinson,
David. (2016). Poverty and child health in the U.K

Kuo, A., Wood, D.L., Duffee, J.H. and Pasco, J.M., (2016). Poverty and child health in the
United States

Tzeng, W., (2016). Poverty and Patents: Intellectual Property Policy and Economic
Inequality