Health and Society Exam #3

Name at least three factors that may contribute to the US/OECD gap in health outcomes.

1-social and demographic explanations 2- Medical care/public care 3- Individual Behavior 4-Phyiscal enviornment

How do levels of anxiety, depression, and substance use differ between teenagers from low-income vs. high-income families? What explains these results?

Affluent teens scored higher than low-income in all substance abuse categories and for anxiety and depression due to pressure put on them by parents to achieve and perform to the highest degree. Can be explained by isolation from parents and physical enviornment. Low SES score high in depression and anxiety/mental illness due to their past and stress in current living situations.

17. What evidence do scholars such as Christopher Barnes and Christopher Drake cite to back up the claim that the US is facing a public health crisis due to lack of sleep?

Barnes and Drake argue America is facing a public health crisis due to sleep deprivation because it affects one's physical health, mental health, work performance, and safety. They state throughout their article that the effects that the lack of sleep has on one is a crisis because Americans live by schedules that aren't focused around getting the needed hours of sleep one needs to be mentally and physically healthy. -starts in childhood with early school times

19. What are some downstream approaches to solving the problems associated with lack of sleep?

Downstream approaches would be making little changes. Increasing sleep by 30 minutes every few weeks, turnoff phone and put in different room, have a thrive buddy.

Explain the concept of GDP.

GDP is the monetary value of all final goods and services produced in a country during a given time period (usually one year).

Physical Enviornment?

If there is Access to recreational facilities, safe Transportation infrastructure, Access to fast food outlets, Access to stores that sell fresh fruits and vegetables (*NOT THE US*) ---- The US physical environment is characterized by limited opportunities for physical activity◦ Few alternatives to driving◦ Fatality rate per mile driven is the same as other countries, but we drive more, more access to fast food .

How does social and demographic explantions affect the gap?

Inequality-- the US has huge inequalities between SES groups, this affects health Largest gaps are from those of low SES and low levels of education

23. Explain what is meant by the "rectangularization" of survival

Live longer, fewer kids so the age pyramid becomes more of a rectangle Rectangularization is the result of fewer deaths at younger ages and middle aged individuals dying early.

How does the US health care system rank internationally? On what measures are we faring reasonably well? On what measures do we rank poorly?

Our medical care does not lack, but those who are covered by it does. Ranked #5 in care of the patient (patient-doctor relationship) We are ranked one of the worst on access to healthcare, healthcare outcomes, equitiy, and administrative efficency ​

14. How have obesity rates across the country changed over the past several decades?

Over the past several decades obesity rates have increased dramatically. In 2012-2014 it was more prevelant in minorites​ than others and is extremely influencing America.

21. What do social scientists mean when they say that aging is new?

Relatively few humans have experienced aging. Until the 2000 years, the average lifespan of human beings was not much more than 30 years. Today, the average lifespan in developed countries is nearly 80 years. Historically speaking, aging has not been normal.

How does Individual Behavior create a gap between US and OECD health outcomes?

Smoking and how it hurts the body in older age Diet-- what you chose to put in your body will affect how it functions/can create illnesses. -High caloric intake and little physical activity = diabetes later on

26. Explain socioemotional selectivity theory. How does it explain the greater sense of well-being often reported in old age?

Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) is grounded in the uniquely human ability to monitor time (Carstensen, 1993, 2006; Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999). According to SST, a core constellation of goals operates throughout adulthood, including basic goals associated with attachment and control as well as goals associated with instrumental needs and emotional gratification.

How do mortality rates in the eight Americas compare to the other OECD nations?

The 8 Americas are mostly at the top of the list for mortality. (the 8 America's:

How does US life expectancy compare with that of other industrialized nations today? Fifty years ago?

The US life expectancy is shorter than other high income countries with Europe having the longest life expectancy. In the past 200 years life expectancy all over has increased, but in the past 50 years has sky-rocketed.

. 24. What are the benefits of providing geriatric specialty care to the elderly population? Why are there too few geriatricians?

The benefits of geriatric specialty care would be better for elderly individuals. Research was done between two groups: Half of the elderly saw a geriatric specials, while the other half were asked to see their usual physician. Within 18 months, 10% of patients in both groups died. BUT... the patients who had been seen by a geriatric team were ⅓ as likely to become disabled, ½ as likely to develop depression, and 40% less likely to require home health services. -not many geriatians bc they pay is so low

10. Why do students from high SES families appear to be at more risk for mental health problems today than their counterparts in the past?

The pressure to perform/achieve to high degrees which lead to mental health problems. Children of high SES feel isolated from parents because they are left at home away from parents many days a week vs their counterparts. (physical and emotional isolation)

25. What often happens to well-being as individuals begin to enter middle age? As they begin to exit middle age?

The u-curve begins around age 40.. happiness drops and then picks up again around 50

How do non-fatal health outcomes in the US population compare to those in the other OECD countries

Things that could kill you at a young age in the US such as car accident, childbirth, or drug overdose than you are likely to live as long as those in OECD countries.

What explains the link between poverty, depression, and anxiety?

Those who live in poverty are more likely to be depressed, have anxiety, and a series of mental and physical health problems. Those who live in poverty live stressful lives, had hard childhoods, and have higher ACE scores creating mental health issues.

How does medical care/public care create a gap between US and OECD health outcomes?

Those with no health care have the worst health conditions Whether one is insured or uninsured they are still worse off than other European countries

How much does the US spend on health care as a fraction of GDP? What do our peer nations spend as a fraction of their GDP?

We used about 16% of our GDP on healthcare while our peers used only about 8-10% of their GDP on healthcare.

Explain the idea of the "eight Americas."

based on -race, -location of the county of residence, -population density, - race-specific county-level per capita income, -cumulative homicide rate.

11. Describe the overall relationship between mental health and socioeconomic status

both high and low SES are at risk for mental health problems, but those living in high status have more access to subtances that they can abuse due to the $$ vs low income.

16. What is "nutritionism"?

created by the food industry and states that what we put into our bodies is most important for our health. What is good for our bodies have been put into more foods and bad has been taken out.

20. What can be gained from downstream approaches to solving sleep problems?

healthier habits and behaviors that will benefit ones day to day living, can help appearance and physical feelings.

15. What are some of the health consequences of obesity?

heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, and even death

How is obesity defined in a public health context? Explain the benefits and drawbacks of this approach.

public health context: Body Mass Index (BMI) benefits: can tell if someone is underweight, overweight, or just right pretty easily. disadvantages: it doesn't account for athletes, their height affecting their weight and their muscle mass--- can say they are obese by their BMI but actually healthy.

18. What policies do they recommend to address this problem

they recommend that we start where it begins- - in childhood and make national later start to the school day -stronger regulation on work hours - don't follow day light saving times -improve eduation about the role sleep plays -help w/ sleep disorders

12. What are the top actual causes of death in the US?

top three 1- tobacco 2- poor diet/physical inactivity 3- alcohol consumption

What are some of the causes of mortality that are particularly high in the US compared with the other OECD countries?

transportation accidents, accidental poisoning, infectious disease, pregnancy complications, and homocide.

What remains unsolved?

we need to better educate the public on the seriousness of sleep deprivation.