The article under review focuses on the issue of health disparity among disadvantaged communities. O’Mara-Eves et al. (2015) write that the problem is common among developed countries since the marginalized groups are socially excluded and have a low socioeconomic status. They lead uncomfortable lives due to a lack of access to social services. Consequently, the members experience inequality-related problems, such as low life expectancy. Health inequalities, in this case, refer to differences in various factors that influence individuals’ well-being and medical status. They include education, income level, employment, engagement in healthy behavior, and public services’ availability. People who lack these elements are less likely to be in a stable state mentally, emotionally, physically, or psychologically. According to King et al. (2016), a lack of collaboration and information-sharing contributes to poor health records in a community. This document’s primary aim is to demonstrate the significance of allowing disadvantaged groups to participate in improving their health and wellness.
The article suggests that the best intervention to solve the health inequality problem and improve the disadvantaged communities’ health and well-being is to involve the members in public health initiatives. In the past years, healthcare professionals designed and implemented health promotion strategies without assistance from the patients or targeted populations. This information suggests that the affected individuals lacked an opportunity to offer ideas that could improve their situation. However, researchers have discovered that this approach has widened the health and well-being gap among the privileged and disadvantaged groups. O’Mara-Eves et al. (2015) researched the issue and compared public health outcomes presented before determining the one that could solve this difference. Thus, providing services that improve citizens’ health and well-being is fair and successful if the individuals participate in the process.
The authors suggest that the best way to implement the community inclusion and engagement intervention is to involve the disadvantaged communities in planning, designing, leading, and delivering healthcare services. They should also have a significant role in the decision-making process. For example, they can offer relevant information about an issue affecting their health and well-being to policymakers and healthcare practitioners to help them design appropriate solutions. These groups can also collaborate in implementing the selected techniques to support their interests. Castillo et al. (2019) describe community interventions as tactics that involve collaborations and partnerships and centralize community members in care delivery. The involvement is likely to be a successful approach because the members of the healthcare system can easily modify the social health determinants. Therefore, less-privileged groups achieve their stability when the members offer ideas on how to eliminate health inequality.
The outcome of the proposed result is social equity and high-quality health services among the disadvantaged groups in different nations. The technique will improve people’s well-being because they will be healthier, employed, and educated (O’Mara-Eves et al., 2015). King et al. (2016) write that public well-being depends on how the citizens live, work, and interact. This study demonstrates that community engagement tactics can eliminate health inequalities directly and indirectly. The authors compared the technique to theories of change and discovered that the intervention’s effectiveness depends on duration, type, and setting. For example, equal health and well-being are possible if the community identifies the health need and mobilizes the change. Alternatively, the stakeholders have to offer their professional advice when designing the solutions. Therefore, this article suggests that allowing members from less-privileged groups to engage in solving health issues will reduce inequalities and improve the community’s health and well-being.
References
Castillo, E. G., Ijadi-Maghsoodi, R., Shadravan, S., Moore, E., Mensah, M. O., Docherty, M., Nunez, M., Barcelo, N., Goodsmith, N., Halpin, L., Morton, I., Mango, J., Montero, A., Koushkaki, S., Bromley, E., Chung, B., Jones, F., Gabrielian,S., Gelberg, L., Greenberg, J. M., Kalofonos, J., Kataoka, S., Miranda,J., Pincus, H., Zima, B.,1, & Wells, K. B. (2019). Community interventions to promote mental health and social equity. CurrentPpsychiatry Reports, 21(5), 1-14. Web.
King, R. J., Garrett, N., Kriseman, J., Crum, M., Rafalski, E. M., Sweat, D., Schearer, S., Frazier, R. & Cutts, T. (2016). A community health record: Improving health through multisector collaboration, fnformation sharing, and technology. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13. Web.
O’Mara-Eves, A., Brunton, G., Oliver, S., Kavanagh, J., Jamal, F., & Thomas, J. (2015). The effectiveness of community engagement in public health interventions for disadvantaged groups: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 1-23. Web.