Communities in Action

Communities in Action
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309452961

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health

Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2001-07-02
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309132975

It's obvious why only men develop prostate cancer and why only women get ovarian cancer. But it is not obvious why women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men or why women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have been documented. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health begins to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. From behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms, this book explores the health impact of sex (being male or female, according to reproductive organs and chromosomes) and gender (one's sense of self as male or female in society). Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health discusses basic biochemical differences in the cells of males and females and health variability between the sexes from conception throughout life. The book identifies key research needs and opportunities and addresses barriers to research. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested lay readers.

Gender and Health

Gender and Health
Author: Chloe E. Bird
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2008-01-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780521682800

Gender and Health is the first book to examine how men's and women's lives and their physiology contribute to differences in their health. In a thoughtful synthesis of diverse literatures, the authors demonstrate that modern societies' health problems ultimately involve a combination of policies, personal behavior, and choice. The book is designed for researchers, policymakers, and others who seek to understand how the choices of individuals, families, communities, and governments contribute to health. It can inform men and women at each of these levels how to better integrate health implications into their everyday decisions and actions.

Women, Ethics, and Inequality in U.S. Healthcare

Women, Ethics, and Inequality in U.S. Healthcare
Author: A. Vigen
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2016-04-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1137112999

Please note this is a 'Palgrave to Order' title (PTO). Stock of this book requires shipment from an overseas supplier. It will be delivered to you within 12 weeks. When seriously ill, what contributes to a sense of being truly cared for and respected? This compelling book explores healthcare inequalities by listening closely to Black and Latina women with breast cancer. It puts their stories into conversation with current healthcare statistics, sharp theological imagination, healthcare providers, and social ethics. Vigen contends that ethicists, healthcare providers, and scholars arrive at an adequate understanding of human dignity and personhood only when they take seriously the experiences and needs of those most vulnerable due to systemic inequalities.

The Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Healthcare

The Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Healthcare
Author: E. Kuhlmann
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2012-06-26
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1137295406

An authoritative, state-of-the-art collection that brings together key experts to provide an overview of the field. This new paperback edition includes 3 new chapters on human resources and health, end-of-life care and complementary and alternative medicine as well as thorough updates to the introduction and conclusion.

Changing America

Changing America
Author:
Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office
Total Pages: 84
Release: 1998
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

This chart book is designed to document current differences in well-being by race and Hispanic origin and to describe how such differences have evolved over the past several decades. The charts included in this book show key indicators of well-being in seven broad categories: (1) population; (2) education; (3) labor markets; (4) economic status; (5) health; (6) crime and criminal justice; and (7) housing and neighborhoods. Each section begins with a brief introduction and overview of the charts presented. This information provides a benchmark for measuring future progress and can highlight priority areas for reducing disparities across racial and ethnic groups. All the racial and ethnic groups considered here have experienced substantial improvements in well-being over the second half of the century, but disparities between groups have persisted, or in some cases, widened. An example is the decline in the relative economic status of Hispanics over the past 25 years, reflecting the increasing proportion of Hispanics with lower average levels of education, in large part because of immigration. The section on education, which makes disparities in educational attainment and achievement clear, contains information on family participation in literacy activities and preschool education. One chart reviews computer use by elementary school children, and two charts cover reading and mathematics proficiency scores, both of which have implications for the pursuit of higher education. Three charts focus on the educational attainment of adults over 25 years old. An appendix provides a list of other government publications and Internet addresses for more information. (Contains 49 graphs and bar charts.) (SLD)

Health and Lifestyles

Health and Lifestyles
Author: Mildred Blaxter
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 113498927X

What is a `healthy' lifestyle? Which is more significant: the social circumstances in which people live, or lifestyle habits such as exercise or smoking? Health and Lifestyles is the first description of a large and representative survey of the British population asking just those questions. It examines the findings, and considers issues such as measured fitness, declared health, psychological status, life circumstances, health-related behaviour, attitudes and beliefs. Providing firm evidence of the importance of social circumstances and patterns of health-related behaviour, Health and Lifestyles is an important contribution to current debate, revealing the levels of inequality in health in Britain today.

Gender Inequalities in Health

Gender Inequalities in Health
Author: Ellen Annandale
Publisher:
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2000
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN:

'... a very useful addition to teaching material in the medical sociology/health studies field that will also be of value for teachers and students in women's studies.' - Mary Ann Elston, Royal Holloway University of London, UK '... Established wisdom about gender inequalities is due for critical questioning. This authoritative and challenging collection ... from some of the most respected names in the field ... will be essential reading for students and researchers in gender studies and medical sociology.' - Professor Mildred Blaxter, University of East Anglia, UK This state-of-the-art collection reflects critically upon the current status of our knowledge about gender inequalities in health and develops an agenda for future research. Leading experts address a range of themes that are central to the development of the field. These include recent theoretical and methodological developments in sociology and social policy, and the significance of changes in gender relations following wide-scale economic and social changes with respect to the mental and physical health status of men and women. The collection focuses upon gender and health within industrialized nations including Britain, North America, Western and Eastern Europe. It will be of particular interest to students and practitioners of sociology, health policy, health studies and gender studies.