Discrimination and Racial Disparities in Health (Essay Sample)

Discrimination and racial disparities in health
Student
Institution
Discrimination and racism in health are extensive and pervasive (Smedley, 2003). For the vast majority of the main sources of death, including coronary illness, growth, stroke, diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, and manslaughter, African Americans have higher passing rates than whites do. Other information shows that black people die prematurely every year who would not die if there were no discrimination in health.
Health disparities in the society are because of various socio-economic factors within our society, which include poverty and level education attainment among its members.
According to Hoberman (2012), the black population is the least educated compared to other racial groups, and the college-educated blacks have higher chances of experiencing unemployment. Employed blacks take jobs that endanger them to occupation hazards and carcinogens even after adjusting to job experiences and training. Blacks earn a low income, yet they risk their health when working.
Poverty is more rampant among the African-American than the whites are (Hoberman, 2012). Black children and teenagers under the age of 18, experience poverty more than their age peers in other racial groups and this affects their adult health. The primary reasons of impoverishment among the black population are unemployment and low-income jobs. African-Americans have lower wealth at every level of income.
I conclude that indeed discrimination and racism largely creates health disparities in various societies and this in heavily linked to the socio-economic status of different populations.
I was born and brought up in Gambia, a multi-ethnic country where ethnic groups are highly stratified with the stratification being a remnant of empires that ruled the land before (Alexander, 2010). In my childhood there existed socioeconomic barriers that hindered me to lead a healthier life.
I was born of a subsistence farmer who together they represent 80 percent of Gambia population (Alexander, 2010). A typical normal for this population is that the levels of income are low. This was an obstruction in my childhood, as I could not induce high-quality medical consideration consequently leading an unhealthier life.
Cultural practices were a major obstacle to a healthy life during my childhood. Born and brought up in an African society where people trusted traditional doctors to heal all their diseases (Alexander, 2010), there was no room for modernized medical care. With the identification of new infection, the traditional doctors could not offer sustainable solutions to health.
Another roadblock for a healthier life was a low degr...