Socioeconomic factors in healthcare influence the rates of disease, access to healthcare, and health outcomes. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, access, and availability of health facilities are the socioeconomic factors affecting healthcare. Socioeconomic borders, therefore, shape the advantages and the disadvantages of healthcare. Health inequalities determined by socioeconomic factors are the main challenge to healthcare globally.
Social aspects impacting healthcare are the prevailing challenges in society that can limit access to care and outcomes. Poverty, illiteracy, stigmatization, and unbalanced access to medical services are some social factors affecting healthcare (Chan et al., 2018). Some individuals and communities are discriminated and hence affecting their access to healthcare. For instance, stigmatization in society affects the willingness to access care and significantly affects the outcome. The level of education and occupation strongly link to the people’s position in society. Lack of social capital to connect with people and groups affects healthcare seekers’ social support.
Economic factors impacting healthcare limit an individual’s ability to afford medical care, maintain good hygiene and make healthy choices. Unemployed people of low economic status suffer higher disease rates, receive limited to no medical care, and record poor health outcomes compared to economically stable individuals. According to Chan et al. (2018), financial position can limit access to healthy nutrition and healthy environments. Poor people have lower medical insurance coverage and hence cannot afford medical services. Wealth is positively related to longevity, hence economic opportunities also inspire individuals to make healthy decisions.
Socioeconomic disparity influences the varying degree of quality care, influencing different rates of disease and health outcomes. The community and financial challenges related to income, stigmatization, environment, health literacy, and access to medical facilities. People from lower socioeconomic groups suffer a greater risk of illness, disability, and death than financially stable people. Socioeconomic factors promote discrimination and inequality in care delivery, affecting people of low socioeconomic status.
Reference
Chan, C. Q. H., Lee, K. H., & Low, L. L. (2018). A systematic review of health status, health-seeking behavior, and healthcare utilization of low socioeconomic status populations in urban Singapore. International journal for equity in health, 17(1), 1-21. Web.