Inquisitive: Chapter 11: Health and Society

In the United States, how did the rise of employer-provided health insurance come about?

During a time when raises were limited by law, it was an alternate way to compensate employees.

Selection Theory

Health and SES are spuriously correlated due to a common causal factor, such as genetics, driving both.

The Drift Explanation

Health causally affects SES.

To what does Sachs attribute India's success in fighting famine—what has been called the Green Revolution?

Public and private assistance from the United States and other nations

Social Determinants Theory

SES causally affects health.

Which of the following is the leading killer worldwide?

waterborne illness

The "Housing First" movement believes that homeless people should receive housing first, without addressing addictions or mental health issues. Identify the arguments sociologists use when defending the implementation of programs such as this one.

"Spend now/save later" approaches typically save taxpayer money in the long term. Seeking medical treatment and support for addiction is very difficult without a place to live. Nonmedical interventions typically improve health more than does medical care.

Identify the reasons why medical doctors enjoy high prestige in the United States.

- A legal cap on the number of medical degrees awarded maintains exclusivity. - Doctors are seen as following a moral calling.

Identify the patient rights that were secured by federal legislation in the 1980s and 1990s.

- Emergency rooms must treat patients regardless of their ability to pay. - Insurance must cover women's hospitalization for 48 hours after childbirth (or 96 hours after a C-section).

As the graph shows, the incidence of twin births per 1,000 births has increased in recent decades across all maternal ages, but especially with older mothers. Identify the causes of this increase.

- Fertility drugs increase the likelihood of producing two or more eggs at the same time. - With in vitro fertilization, several pre-embryos are implanted in order to improve the chances of success.

Identify the actions that show how Dr. Paul Farmer's expertise in both medicine and social science influence his work. Influential Action(s)

- He writes about the linkages between poverty and illness. - He founded Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization that addresses both social and physical dimensions of poverty.

Identify some of the main provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare."

- Insurance for low-income Americans is subsidized. - All Americans are required to purchase insurance. - Medicaid eligibility has been expanded. - Young adults can stay on their parents' plan through age 26. - Risk adjustment based on preexisting conditions is eliminated.

Identify the reasons why AIDS deaths in the United States have decreased since the 1980s.

- Medication can lessen the likelihood of HIV transmission from mothers to infants. - Anti-HIV medications are increasingly affordable. - Medication can lessen the likelihood of HIV turning into AIDS.

Identify the reasons why AIDS deaths in the United States have decreased since the 1980s.

- Medication can lessen the likelihood of HIV turning into AIDS. - Medication can lessen the likelihood of HIV transmission from mothers to infants. - Anti-HIV medications are increasingly affordable.

Identify the correct findings of the Whitehall study.

- Men with lower occupational statuses had higher rates of morbidity. - Men with lower occupational statuses had higher mortality rates. - Men with lower occupational statuses were more likely to engage in high-risk activities (e.g., smoking).

Identify the benefits of a mandatory insurance plan that covers large numbers of people.

- The costs that will be paid out are fairly predictable. - Income and expenses are such that the system is sustainable.

Identify the plausible reasons why the Dutch are on average significantly taller than Americans.

- They eat better and lead a healthier lifestyle. - Dutch society has a more egalitarian wealth distribution.

Identify the reasons why doctors wield power in today's health care system.

- They have broad authority to write prescriptions. - They are self-regulating. - They decide what counts as a medical disorder.

Identify the reasons why more men than women die of heart disease.

- Women are more likely to seek medical advice on heart disease. - Men work in higher-stress occupations.

Paul Farmer has gained attention for his work on behalf of the world's poor, as described in Tracy Kidder's book Mountains beyond Mountains. Of the many hats Farmer wears, identify the profession(s) with which he can be aligned.

- a social scientist - a physician

According to surveys, which quality in doctors do patients rate as most important?

- bedside manner

Identify the populations that have the greatest risk of HIV infection in the United States.

- homosexual men - African American women - African American men

Identify the actions of health care providers, patients, and other agencies that contribute to the increase of antimicrobial resistance in infectious diseases.

- patients not completing prescribed courses of treatment - adding antibiotics to animal feed - prescribing antibiotics to patients who do not need them

When economist Adriana Lleras-Muney studied the effect on health of additional time spent in school, she found that people with more schooling were less likely to die over a ten-year period. What was her specific finding?

An additional year of school meant a 3.6 percent reduction in ten-year mortality.

Identify the reasons why bottled water is superior to tap water in the United States.

Bottled water is not superior to U.S. tap water.

In an HMO, a doctor is paid based on the number of people assigned to him or her, rather than on the number of patient visits. Type the term for the per-person fee the provider earns.

Capitation

Which item explains why medicine is considered not only a career but also a profession?

Doctors are accountable to their peers

What is the difference between dynamic psychiatry and diagnostic psychiatry?

Dynamic psychiatry focuses on psychological causes, while diagnostic psychiatry focuses on symptoms.

True/False: Availability and affordability of medical care are major predictors of life expectancy and quality of life.

False

What is the origin of the word homeopathic?

It comes from Greek words meaning "same" and "poison."

What does it mean to say that illness is socially constructed?

The identification of a condition or activity as symptomatic of an illness varies by culture.

In 1977, a change in Social Security policy produced a natural experiment: people born just after January 1, 1917, received reduced benefits compared to people born just a few days earlier. What did the experiment reveal?

There was a negative correlation between greater benefits and longevity.

True/False: The spend-now/save-later approach that has worked well for improving the lives of children in low-income families also works well with homeless, mentally ill, and substance-abusing adults.

True

Place the regions in order of decreasing numbers of people living with HIV: a) Sub-Saharan Africa b) South and Southeast Asia c) Middle East and North Africa d) Central and South America

a, b, d, c

Identify the countries that have similar average life expectancies compared to the United States: a) qatar b) japan c) columbia d) south africa

a, c

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has undergone many revisions since the publication of the first edition in 1952. Place the events in the evolution of the DSM's contents in chronological order: a) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is added to the list of disorders. b) The DSM shifts from a psychological model of diagnosis to a medical one. c) Homosexuality is removed from the list of disorders. d) Homosexuality is listed as a psychiatric disorder.

d, c, b, a

Vaccination has proven to be a highly effective weapon against certain diseases. ______ which at its peak in the 1940s and 1950s infected ______ in the United States each year, has been ______ eradicated worldwide through vaccination. Newly developed vaccines against diseases such as ______ hold great promise as a public health tool in Africa.

polio, tens of thousands, nearly, meningitis