Health Disadvantage Groups – Exploring the Nation’s Health Needs With an Interdisciplinary Approach
Health is a state of total physical, mental and emotional well-being where infirmity and illness are absent. Many different definitions have been employed over the years for health. Some refer to it as the quality of life, while others talk about morbidity, indicating morbidity or mortality rates. There is no clear-cut definition of what health is. Rather, it is the state of relative well being with its various components equivalent to the quality of life.
The concept of health has often been viewed as synonymous with physical well being. However, health is a complex concept and there is a great deal of difference between the concepts. Physical health is comprised of the absence of diseases, a condition where the body is disease free, and physical capacities that allow an individual to engage in everyday life without limitation or danger. Mental health, on the other hand, is comprised of the presence of mental capacities that contribute to an individual’s ability to live an active and satisfying life.
In addition, one’s overall health depends upon the values and attitudes that they cultivate and maintain throughout their lives. This includes both their physical well-being and their mental well-being. The essence of a happy and successful life is comprised of both the mind and the body, and these concepts cannot be separated from each other.
Therefore, what we understand as “healthy” can vary from person to person and situation to situation. The quality of well-being can be impacted by the type of technology that an individual uses, the type of education that they obtain, the types of relationships they have, their work style, their social networking activities, and many other factors. Online social interaction has opened up a whole new arena in terms of social interaction, and the expansion of the digital society has made it possible to participate in these interactions from virtually anywhere. These interactions have become a great boon for mental well-being, but they also pose a number of unique challenges that must be addressed for individuals who reside in a wired society. In this paper we will examine these challenges and suggest potential solutions through a look at the interdisciplinary approach to mental wellness.
One challenge that is faced by people of color and other underserved groups in the United States is health disparities in health outcomes. For example, people of color tend to suffer from higher rates of both obesity and diabetes. Although people of color have higher obesity rates than the national average, they also have higher rates of diabetes and other chronic diseases such as cancer. On the other hand, people of color and other disadvantaged communities are also more likely to experience low levels of education. This gap in educational achievement results in greater health disparities in health outcomes, with people of color and other disadvantaged communities suffering higher health risks and disability rates. This gap in health outcomes can only be closed by addressing the myriad of factors that contribute to health behaviors, which are affected by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and place of residence.
Research has shown that when people of color, especially people of color of African descent, experience early diagnosis and treatment, they recover more quickly from chronic and serious illnesses than do patients with similar demographics who have delayed getting diagnosed or treated. This finding highlights the importance of an integrated system that incorporates disease prevention and complete physical therapy along with medical treatment so that the sick person can fully recover and achieve optimal health. It also highlights the need to address the social, cultural and environmental factors that exacerbate health risks and enable people to develop chronic and serious illnesses. A holistic public health approach that takes these key steps can help ensure that all persons – particularly those of color and other disadvantaged communities – get the health care and nutrition they need to survive.