Reading “Racial/Ethnic Variations in Women’s Health: The Social Embeddedness of Health” really reiterated how much socioeconomic status catalyzed unequal responses to healthcare among women of color. This stands in stark contrast to early responses to disparities in health (early research in the United States viewed racial differences in health outcomes as genetically determined). I also thought it was interesting how the author made sure to make clear the fact that health disparities and differences between whites and people of color must be examined while still accounting for culture and attitudes. Take the high prevalence of obesity in the Black community. As the author posits, “some evidence suggests that Blacks have more tolerant attitudes toward obesity.” However, these same attitudes may end up being correlated to negative health effects like diabetes and high blood pressure. So then question, then, becomes, how to make sure that people from across racial and cultural backgrounds receive the same treatment and are able to maintain and value a healthy lifestyle when certain cultures might no altogether believe that the factors correlating poor health (ie. a more curvy, full figure) are not negative and might be highly valued?
I was also shocked by much of the information the authors brought up with regards to education. According to reports, “Infants born to Black women in the lowest education category are 1.7 times as likely to die before their first birthday as are infants born to similarly educated White females.” I considered this fact to be the most arresting of the reading and one which indicates the fact that poor health within communities of color are more than just caused or correlated by income and poverty level. Racism and prejudice also stands in the way of minorities and people historically discriminated as a result of their racial, cultural, or ethnic background, and often leaves them with adverse health effects that continue replicating in latter generations.
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