Immanuel Lewis@02643135Discussion QuestionsDr. Moen

Chapter Four: Discussion and Question Presentation and Reviews in Class : 2/10/2013

Health Status of the Population and Vulnerable Groups

Discussion Questions

1. Dramatic advances in science deepens our understanding of how healthy development happens, how it can be derailed, and what societies can do to keep it on track. Discuss the linkages between the advances in science and the public health policies derived from these advances, and how the target populations benefit (or fail to benefit) from these advances. Discuss Diffusion Theory in how bench science leads to treatment for individuals and groups in society. What are the barriers and costs to these diffusions of new knowledge; and address the length of time it takes for diffusions to arrive at the clinical and/or community setting?

Some of the ways we can us this information is for education reform, workforce development, health promotion, prevention of disease and disability, child protection, crime reduction, and poverty alleviation.

2. Compare and contrast positive stress and tolerable stress as it relates to the health status of individuals.

Positive stress is moderate, increases in heart rate, blood pressure. Brought on by frustration, adjusting to a new child care setting, and other normative experiences. Positive stress is an important aspectof healthy development. Tolerable stress is when a natural disaster occurs, homelessness, death in a family.

3. Discuss toxic stress and its impact on the body’s stress-response systems.

Toxic Stress inclues recurrent physical and/or emotional abuse, neglect, without deep poverty. This can lead to a disruption in brain architecture, adversely affects other organs, and leads to stress management systems that establish relatively lower thresholds for responsiveness.

4. Given the plethora of detailed and complex public health databases available both in this country and globally; debate the author(s) contention that; “The general lack of routinely reported in-formation on social and economic differences in health in this country has public health implications.”

Without including pertinent information about social and economic differences in health, it is truly hard to get an authentic view on the country. When you do not take these factors into account, you not only have public health implications, but you are purporting the political conservatism agenda of widening the gap between the haves and the have nots. The haves contend that there isn’t a problem in America because they don’t see it. However many people see the inequalities in the health field depending on your race, sexual orientation, and/or socioeconomic status.

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Immanuel Lewis@02643135Discussion QuestionsDr. Moen

5. Given the author(s) point that; “Population-based health statistics play a key role in informing the prioritization of public health problems and public investment in health promotion activity;” what are the problems most often associated with targeted public health programs and their questionable positive outcomes?

The main problem is that the industry is more profit centered than service centered. When you are more profit centered you tend to neglect someone who couldn’t provide eeconomically to the company. Statistics do help, but I believe a educational utility must be put in place that teaches citizens what they are doing to their body. This is because medicine usually suppresses symptoms but doesn’t actually cure anything. I believe until that happens then there will be disparities in health.

6. What can be done to increase the primary care workforce over both the short-term and long-term horizon? What are the economic considerations of your suggestions?

I believe what we can do is reform th training of health professions and to support health care workers in high-need specialties by giing them due compensation.

7. What policies on reproductive health would you suggest especially in terms of government funding for reproductive services for the poor or near-poor? Would you advocate or qualify someone for costly reproductive services for an infertile woman who may be single and on welfare and Medicaid?

I believe reproductive services are really needed for poor youth. The reason being is because sex – education is not offered everywhere and there is a link between children and socioeconomic status. And yes I will, I believe America can truly do what it wills in terms of equality. If we want peace and tranquility than we would have it, the question however is do the eople who have the power to define possess the empathy and care to use tax dollars to support the cause.

8. Once health care cost coverage has been met by government policy initiatives, what investments should be made to strengthening the health care delivery system, improving health education efforts, and expanding educational and economic opportunities for women? Debate the opportunities already available for women especially in terms of health care delivery and educational institutions that exist now? What barriers to educational attainment would you see confronting women today who may want to go to technical school or to college?

When we look at it, women of color are worse ff than white wome. We also see that education between whites and color ethnicities are pretty bleak as well. Some things that we need is going to strengthen the health care delivery system, improve health education, expand educational and economic opportunities.

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Immanuel Lewis@02643135Discussion QuestionsDr. Moen

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