Scientists collect statistics on who gets healthcare and what factors might influence the care received. Social epidemiology is the study of how health and disease are distributed throughout a society’s population. It helps scientists figure out what factors are influential, such as age, gender, social class, and race.
Age: People who die at a younger age are considered rare and tragic, but young people still die of accidents and sometimes tragic diseases.
Gender: Males display riskier behavior throughout their lives, are four times more likely to be killed as a result of homicide, and, later in life, are more likely to die of heart disease. Women are more likely to outlive men in general by about five years.
Social class: About ten years separates the highest and the lowest class in the U.S. in terms of life expectancy. Income affects how you feel about your health and the healthcare and medical attention you receive.
Race: Although all families want good health and are willing to seek treatment when needed, the poverty level of African Americans is three times that of whites. They are more likely to die in infancy, and, as adults, are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as die from violence or drug abuse. The life expectancy for white children is about four years longer than that of African American children.
Younger deaths are the ones considered tragic. Older deaths are considered normal and expected.
Does our distribution of illness and death epidemiologically make sense? What is the worst loss of life that could be prevented?
