Social Perspective on Risk Reduction, Research Paper Example

Women who live in rural areas face many heath issues that women in other areas do not face. Just having access to transportation to health services can be a major barrier. Often, these women live is such remote areas, doctors are not willing to relocate to such an area. As a result, access to specialists might be almost impossible. Emergencies can prove disastrous because they may not be able to reach a facility quickly enough. Getting a routine check-up can prove to be an all day event because of the distance they may have to travel. Because of the difficulty of making access with facilities, women in rural areas are usually diagnoses too late to be saved from life threatening diseases.  Women in these areas also suffer from higher rates of chronic diseases than women in urban areas. For example, they may also have higher rates of certain types of cancer from exposure of chemicals in various types of farming.

Closing the Gap

In efforts to promote a closer collaboration between staff and rural women, health care professionals should be required to learn about cultural aspects that may affect the quality of health care services accepted by this group. For example, “Adding to the increasing evidence of cultural expectations, assumptions, and language as factors affecting the quality of care, Hispanic, and non- white healthcare providers should examine how interpersonal processes affect the health care that patients receive and the outcomes of their care.”(Blum, 1981) By increasing the availability and effectiveness of community based programs such as free health screenings and informational seminars, the gap in health care disparities can be bridged.

Community Needs/Health Issues

Advances in medical technologies have provided many people with the chance to live longer, healthier lives. Nonetheless, there are many documented disparities between those living in rural areas versus those in urban areas causing health equity to remain elusive. Health disparities are differences in health outcomes that are linked to one’s social, economic and or environmental disadvantages. These disadvantages are often caused by social conditions in which one lives, learns, and works, and responds differently from other counterparts. Health care disparities are a societal burden that manifests itself in multiple ways. Lack of insurance negatively affects the quality of health care provided to some individuals. Women in rural areas often members of cultural societies that place negative stigmas on certain illnesses and for this reason many women in rural areas do not seek help for certain medical issues. For example, mental illness has a very negative connotation among people in rural. Mental illness is often labeled as a disease that attacks the weak minded. As a result, many women suffer from depression for years and years without proper treatment.

Food Sustainability

Culture is a large factor that affects nutrition. Culture has a great influence on the way a person prepares food, they way in which they season it, and how often and how much of certain foods they may eat. Some cultures rely on staple foods for a great deal of their meals. For example, rice or beans are eaten for nearly every meal in some cultures. Acculturation is also a part of culture. During this process, a person may move to another region or area and take on the beliefs, attitudes, and values of a dominant culture. Many people who fall victim to acculturation may add new foods to their diets or just cut out other foods completely. (Ham, Kruger, Tudor-Locke, 2009). This substitution may occur because other foods are more convenient to obtain and prepare, more affordable, or they just like the new taste better. Health care providers must be aware of these possibilities and provide nutritional guides that are sensitive to cultural beliefs.

Violence

 Women in rural areas are more likely to suffer from domestic violence than women living in urban areas. Yet, the rural women are less likely to be victims of other types of violent crime (Davis, Cook, & Cohen, 2005). Although domestic violence crosses all geographical lines, women in rural areas are less likely to seek help because they do not know it is available. These women are isolated from families and friend and feel all alone. Often they live too far away from shelters, families, friends, and other services that could help them to escape their abusers.

Women’s Voice

Adequate communication is one important factor of effective health care services. It is important for healthcare providers to understand their patients’ health care needs; it is equally important for patients to understand healthcare providers’ diagnoses and treatment recommendations. “Communication barriers can relate to language, culture, and health literacy. For people with limited English proficiency, having language assistance is of particular importance. People with limited English proficiency may choose a usual source of care in part based on language concordance” (Brown, 2002). As a result of not having the ability to communicate with healthcare providers, many minorities are discouraged from establishing a usual source of care. Various entities ranging from local health departments and free clinics can prove very beneficial in helping to identify individuals with health disparities.  Collaboration with these foundations can be established to conduct and evaluate pilot tests of health disparity.

Overall Wellness

In order to maintain an overall wellbeing, one must take in account the whole person. That includes spiritual, social, mind, and body. When one views health in this manner, focusing on one aspect becomes impossible. Daily choices about health are made each day when chooses to be either active or inactive. Stress has been shown to weaken immune systems and leave the body susceptible to infections (Davis, Cook, & Cohen, 2005). Although it is impossible to avoid stress, great physical and mental healths are very important in maintaining healthy stress levels

Reaching Rural Health

In efforts to promote a closer collaboration between staff and minorities, health care professionals should be required to learn about cultural aspects that may affect the quality of health care services accepted by minorities. For example, “Adding to the increasing evidence of cultural expectations, assumptions, and language as factors affecting the quality of care, Hispanic, and non- white healthcare providers should examine how interpersonal processes affect the health care that patients receive and the outcomes of their care.”(Anner, 1995) By increasing the availability and effectiveness of community based programs such as free health screenings and informational seminars, the gap in health care disparities can be bridged. For example, “Eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities is imperative as both a matter of fairness and economic common sense. This tremendous challenge can-and must-be met with a focused commitment of will, resources, and cooperation to make change happen” (Cegala, 2005). The implementation of a “Thrive Tool’ or community based program can help to target minority groups in efforts to improve the quality of life among ethnic minorities (Malloy, Virani, & Munevar, 2010).

References

Anner, J. 1995. Working together: Building successful multicultural movements. Neighborhood Works, 18, 16-21.

Blum, H L (1981). Social perspective on risk reduction. Community Health, 3(1), 50-62.

Brown, J.D. & Witherspoon, E.M. (2002). The mass media and American adolescents ‘health. . Adolescent Health, 31(6)153-170.

Cabala, D. J. (2006). Emerging trends and future directions in patient communication skills training. Health Communication, 20, 123-129.

Davis, R. Cook, D. Cohen, L. (2005). A Community Resilience Approach to Reducing Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Health. American Journal of Public Health, 95, 2168-73

Ham, Sandra A.; Kruger, Judy; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; (2009) Participation by US Adults in Sports, Exercise, and Recreational Physical Activities. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 6, 6-14.

Malloy, P., Virani, R., Kelly, K., & Munevar, C. (2010). Beyond bad news: Communication skills of nurses in palliative care. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 12, 166-174

Satcher D. (2000). Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health: the role of the ten leading health indicators.  National Med Association, 92, 315-3 18.