Exploring Socioeconomic Status as a Social Determinant of Health

This essay examines socioeconomic status (SES) as a critical social determinant of health, exploring its multifaceted influence on individual well-being and public health outcomes. The essay defines SES and its impact on health, emphasizing its role in shaping access to healthcare, influencing health behaviors, and affecting both physical and mental health. It references key literature, including works by Davidson, Meyer et al., and Präg et al., to illustrate how SES affects living conditions, psychological functioning, and the development of chronic diseases. The discussion highlights the correlation between low wages, stress levels, and health issues, as well as the impact of childhood poverty. The essay also touches on the role of social comparison in psychological stress and access to healthcare, concluding that higher SES is linked to improved psychological well-being and better overall health. The essay uses peer reviewed journal articles to support the arguments and provide a comprehensive overview of the topic.

Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Socioeconomic status as the social determinants of health
Meaning of socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status (SES) may be defined as the measurement of the combined
economic status of the combined economic and the social status and generally tends to be
associated with better health. SES influences the heath by the ability to purchase the health
treatments and other resources; it helps in the socialization of the early health care habits, the
continuation of the socialization of the health care habits differs by SES. Davidson (2015) have
also argued that it is the health that influences the SES as a less healthy person is associated with
the missing of more working days , earn low wages and completion of fewer years in school.
Rudolph Virchow, who has been referred to as the father of social medicine stated that it is the
poverty that increases the vulnerability of the people to diseases (Davidson 2015). Findings from
the literature support significant health inequalities in acute and the chronic diseases, self reports
of health and life expectancy as per the socioeconomic status. The chapter explores the lower end
of the social gradient of health and how the people living in the lower end of the economic
spectrum increases the chance of exposure to allied range of health care problems.

2SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Peer reviewed journal articles
Präg, P., Mills, M. and Wittek, R., 2013. Income and income inequality as social determinants of
health: do social comparisons play a role?. European Sociological Review, 30(2), pp.218-229.
Meyer, O.L., Castro-Schilo, L. and Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., 2014. Determinants of mental health and
self-rated health: a model of socioeconomic status, neighborhood safety, and physical activity.
American journal of public health, 104(9), pp.1734-1741.
Discussion
Socioeconomic status may influence a person’s life and even health in many ways. It hs
been found that people who are better socially integrated have positive effect on their health than
those who are less socialy integrated. The levels of income determine the social status. The level
of income shapes the overall living conditions of people, the psychological functioning and also
impacts on the health related behavior like the quality of the diet or the level of the physical
activity, alcohol or tobacco use (Meyer et al. 2014). Präg et al.(2013) have stated that low wages
is associated with higher levels of stress that may give rise to chronic conditions such as
hypertension. Stress level is also associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases,
obesity and diabetes. Low wages also affects the childhood. In comparison to the children in the
high income families, children belonging to the low income families are more likely to be
aggressive; they are also like to have two or more physical challenges (House et al. 2013). There
are some adults who are being able to climb the social ladder, but their child hood poverty may

3SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
have long term repercussions having predisposition for the inflammation of the immune system.
This part can be related to the extract 3 under the section ethnicity and culture, where the student
clearly stated that they were much happier that they lived an affluent life unlike their parents,
who have lived a life of hardship. As per the recorded responses from the group members it
seems that most of them come off middle class Australian families and the physical and the
mental well being of the family was determined by their socio economic status. One instance can
be seen in the extract 1, where the member shared that they had to struggle for months of
hardship when his father was unable to work for few months as the firefighter, for which they
had to move to Brisbane in search of a new job. Benach et al.(2014) has stated that the place of
residence is also influenced by the socio-economic status and the type of the job. Pickett and
Wilkinson (2015) have stated that one of the reasons for the psychological stress in people with
low socioeconomic status is due to the social comparison, which is an innate human activity.
Social comparison forms the framework of self knowledge and can satisfy the basic human needs
to feel competent.
Meyer et al. (2014) have stated that socioeconomic status not only affects the physical
health but also the psychological well being of a person. Some of the studies indicate that major
depression is common in people with low SES than those with higher SES. Treatment and
assessment of mental health involves higher burden of health care cost and it is obvious that
people with low SES would not be able to access the costly health care services (Präg et
al.2013).
It can be stated that proper socioeconomic status links with higher psychological well
being and foster better childhood development, establishes social status to engage in community
activities and to afford a healthy diet.

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References
Benach, J., Vives, A., Amable, M., Vanroelen, C., Tarafa, G. and Muntaner, C., 2014. Precarious
employment: understanding an emerging social determinant of health. Annual review of public
health, 35.
Davidson, A., 2015. Social determinants of health: A comparative approach. Oxford University
Press.
House, J.S., Kessler, R.C., Herzog, A.R., Mero, R.P., Kinney, A.M. and Breslow, M.J., 2013.
Social stratification, age, and health. In Aging, health behaviors, and health outcomes (pp. 13-
44). Psychology Press.
Meyer, O.L., Castro-Schilo, L. and Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., 2014. Determinants of mental health and
self-rated health: a model of socioeconomic status, neighborhood safety, and physical activity.
American journal of public health, 104(9), pp.1734-1741.
Pickett, K.E. and Wilkinson, R.G., 2015. Income inequality and health: a causal review. Social
science & medicine, 128, pp.316-326.
Präg, P., Mills, M. and Wittek, R., 2013. Income and income inequality as social determinants of
health: do social comparisons play a role?. European Sociological Review, 30(2), pp.218-229.