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Chapter 7: Health and Health Care

  • Page ID
    326681
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    Learning Objectives

    1. Explain how socially constructed ideas affect health outcomes for families.
    2. Describe the advantage of understanding health disparities related to social characteristics (race, gender, etc.) and how it relates to families.
    3. Explain why family members with mental illness or substance use disorders are less likely to get medical care and support.
    4. Relate the challenges of meeting basic needs like sleep, exercise, and good diet to family health.
    5. Describe how definitions of “family” impact the access of any individual to health care.
    6. Examine how family structure, geography, and income level overlap affect health care access in the United States.
    7. Analyze what contributed to the opioid crisis and its impact on families.
    8. Apply theoretical concepts related to family health to one’s own observations and experiences.
    • 7.1: Chapter Reading Guide
      This page examines the social construction of health and its implications, particularly stigma and intersectionality. It addresses practical concerns like the opioid crisis and sleep, highlighting how social structures affect family health and relationships. Learning objectives include understanding disparities based on social characteristics, challenges for families with mental illness, and the interplay of family structure and socioeconomic factors in healthcare access.
    • 7.2: The Social Construction of Health
      This page examines the complex definition of health, emphasizing it as a human right influenced by societal factors and stigma. It discusses the negative impact of stigma on access to care, particularly for illnesses like lung cancer, and highlights healthcare disparities in the U.S. compared to other nations.
    • 7.3: Health Equity for Families
      This page examines the intricate relationships between socioeconomic status, health disparities, and their intersections with gender and sexual identity in the U.S. It highlights how economic instability and discrimination impact health outcomes, access to care, and overall well-being, particularly within marginalized groups. Key issues include sleep deprivation, obesity linked to social determinants, and the effects of systemic racism.
    • 7.4: Health and Health Insurance
      This page discusses the disparities in healthcare access in the U.S. compared to industrialized nations that provide universal coverage, resulting in poorer health outcomes despite higher spending. It highlights how socioeconomic status, discrimination, and employment-based insurance contribute to inequalities, especially among racial groups. The page also addresses the high costs associated with the pharmaceutical industry and the ethical issues surrounding drug development.
    • 7.5: Looking Ahead- Keeping Your Family Healthy
      This page emphasizes that family health management incorporates lifestyle choices influenced by systemic inequities in resource access, rooted in historical policies. It highlights activism as a method to combat health disparities, showcasing organizations working for better healthcare access. The chapter concludes with a call for societal commitment to uphold health standards in line with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
    • 7.6: Going Deeper
      This page offers resources for exploring health care topics, including social determinants of health, disparities, and equity. It features recommended readings, reflective questions, key terms, and an interactive activity on sleep's health effects. These materials aim to enhance understanding of health and health care systems’ complexities.


    This page titled Chapter 7: Health and Health Care is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Elizabeth B. Pearce (OpenOregon) .