Biomaterial Database

Health inequities in the United States: prospects and solutions. 2000

D Raphael

Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, McMurrich Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S IA8, Canada.

An overview of the role that social determinants of health play in influencing health is provided. Emphasis is on the impact of economic inequality in creating health inequities among Americans. Economic inequality is seen as impacting health in three ways: increasing economic inequality weakens population health by creating poverty; weakening communal social structures that support health such as social and health services; and decreasing social cohesion and civil commitment. Documentation is provided of the growing degree of economic inequality in the USA and complicating issues of racial segregation are considered. Specific recommendations for addressing economic inequality, from USA, British, and Canadian sources, are presented. These recommendations indicate the need to move from epidemiologic research to public health action, from demonstrating the major impact of economic inequality on community health to the development and implementation of specific policies and programs to reverse the continuing increase in economic inequality.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008019	Life Style	Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed)	Lifestyle Factors,Life Style Induced Illness,Lifestyle,Factor, Lifestyle,Life Styles,Lifestyle Factor,Lifestyles
D011203	Poverty	A situation in which the level of living of an individual, family, or group is below the standard of the community. It is often related to a specific income level.	Federal Poverty Level,Federal Poverty Threshold,Indigency,Low-Income Population,Absolute Poverty,Extreme Poverty,Indigents,Low Income Population,Federal Poverty Levels,Indigent,Level, Federal Poverty,Low Income Populations,Low-Income Populations,Population, Low Income,Population, Low-Income,Poverty Level, Federal,Poverty Threshold, Federal,Poverty, Absolute,Poverty, Extreme
D002170	Canada	The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D006291	Health Policy	Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.	Health Care Policies,Health Policies,Healthcare Policy,National Health Policy,Care Policies, Health,Health Care Policy,Health Policy, National,Healthcare Policies,National Health Policies,Policies, Health,Policies, Health Care,Policies, Healthcare,Policy, Health,Policy, Health Care,Policy, Healthcare
D006293	Health Promotion	Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.	Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program
D006297	Health Services Accessibility	The degree to which individuals are inhibited or facilitated in their ability to gain entry to and to receive care and services from the health care system. Factors influencing this ability include geographic, architectural, transportational, and financial considerations, among others.	Access To Care, Health,Access to Care,Access to Contraception,Access to Health Care,Access to Health Services,Access to Medications,Access to Medicines,Access to Therapy,Access to Treatment,Accessibility of Health Services,Availability of Health Services,Contraception Access,Contraceptive Access,Medication Access,Accessibility, Health Services,Contraceptive Availability,Health Services Geographic Accessibility,Program Accessibility,Access to Cares,Access to Contraceptions,Access to Medication,Access to Medicine,Access to Therapies,Access to Treatments,Access, Contraception,Access, Contraceptive,Access, Medication,Accessibilities, Health Services,Accessibility, Program,Availability, Contraceptive,Care, Access to,Cares, Access to,Contraception, Access to,Contraceptive Accesses,Health Services Availability,Medication Accesses,Medication, Access to,Medicine, Access to,Medicines, Access to,Therapy, Access to,Treatment, Access to
D006305	Health Status Indicators	The measurement of the health status for a given population using a variety of indices, including morbidity, mortality, and available health resources.	Health Risk Appraisal,Health Status Index,Health Status Indexes,Appraisal, Health Risk,Appraisals, Health Risk,Health Risk Appraisals,Health Status Indicator,Health Status Indices,Index, Health Status,Indexes, Health Status,Indicator, Health Status,Indicators, Health Status,Indices, Health Status,Risk Appraisal, Health,Risk Appraisals, Health
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012935	Social Justice	An interactive process whereby members of a community are concerned for the equality and rights of all.	Food Justice,Common Good,Justice,Obligations of Society,Good, Common,Justice, Food,Justice, Social
D012940	Social Problems	Situations affecting a significant number of people, that are believed to be sources of difficulty or threaten the stability of the community, and that require programs of amelioration.	Labor Exploitation,Social Exploitation,Exploitation, Labor,Exploitation, Social,Exploitations, Labor,Problem, Social,Problems, Social,Social Problem