Abstract
Despite the focus paid at the worldwide level to eliminate disparity, there are still psychosocial health disparities in health care for children. The disparity can manifest itself in various ways, including racial and ethnic disparity. In this article, an overview of the current state of pediatric health inequalities is presented by focusing on the primary factors that impact children’s medical care, as well as the initiatives currently being undertaken to address the issue of health disparities among children. The findings of this study substantiate the existence of psychological disparities in the pediatric population, which exist across a wide range of socioeconomic units as well as racial and cultural groupings (Schüz et al., 2017). This essay will discuss the factors that contribute to the creation of educational disparities and the effect that this has on the academic development of the children subjected to them. Another purpose of this article is to draw attention to the health disparities associated with hypertension and discuss ways in which nurses can evaluate and enhance health literacy.
Introduction
Ethnic and racial disparities in children’s health are well-known. Still, they exist in locations with no racism or ethnic discrimination, where children are more likely to receive inferior and less care than their peers. As a result, the progress in reducing psychological inequalities is called into doubt. According to this essay, social disparities in pediatric care exist, how these disparities affect children and how they might be addressed in the current world of child healthcare.
Health Disparities
During this period, which is replete with controversy concerning health disparities, numerous definitions have been used for the concept of “disparity.” According to Schneider (2020), discrepancies in the treatment or access to health services that are not justified by differences in the group’s health condition or preferences are considered examples of health service disparities. Keeping this criterion in mind, one should be aware that children who belong to racial or ethnic minorities are almost always underserved compared to children whose families belong to the ethnic or racial majority.
People ought to make the health of children a primary concern while thinking about educational opportunities for children. To put it another way, education can either benefit or hurt a child’s overall well-being, both mentally and physically (Santana et al., 2021). It is a commonly held belief that the standard of medical care in different regions of the world varies significantly. According to the findings of a report that was made public and titled “Healthy People 2030,” one of the goals of this initiative was to help eliminate health disparities between the various social groups (Schüz et al., 2017). This investigation revealed that these differences arise based on an individual’s gender, race, ethnicity, poverty, education, handicap, sexual orientation, or even rural area.
According to the findings of this analysis, children and persons with disabilities are among the population groups most negatively affected by the current state of health care. In addition, those who fall into these categories have the highest rates of poverty and the lowest levels of educational attainment. This report also suggested that those with a minor education died younger than those who were more educated due to ignorance regarding chronic illnesses, injuries, and infectious diseases. This was the case because those with a children’s education were less likely to seek medical attention for these conditions. In addition to disparities in socioeconomic status, racial makeup, and ethnic composition, numerous more factors contribute to these differences.
The socioeconomic standing of children is an essential factor in determining the state of their health. According to a report that the HHS published in 2018, a mother with a lower education level is more likely to have children who die as infants than a mother with a higher education level (Ginter et al., 2018). Compared to children who originate from white households, the risk of lead poisoning is significantly higher for children who come from families with poor incomes and families of other races.
The socioeconomic level of an individual is a factor in both the coverage provided by insurance and the availability of medical care. According to HHS (2018), there was a significant gap in access to medical care between children from low-income homes and those from wealthy families because of the availability of health insurance coverage (Ginter et al., 2018). People without health insurance coverage did not have any other options for receiving medical care (Schüz et al., 2017). It is believed that all of these factors significantly impact the health and, as a result, the education of children who come from low-income homes or from minorities who are not white. Children’s health tends to deteriorate in direct proportion to their education level. Several different organizations’ activities are now addressing the issue of inequities in the pediatric population. The next step in resolving the issue is providing those struggling with inequality with access to resources and educational opportunities.
Conclusion
The racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities that exist today are serious problems that require immediate attention. Numerous studies have shown that the differences described above are, in fact, present. According to a significant amount of this study, the primary factor behind these health disparities among children is a lack of education. A national plan must be developed to bring this matter to the forefront of public consciousness. Everyone should make an effort to make this aim a reality if they want their society to move in the correct direction toward providing equal access to healthcare for all people, especially for the future of children. This is especially important for the future of children.
References
Ginter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2018). The strategic management of health care organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
Santana, S., Brach, C., Harris, L., Ochiai, E., Blakey, C., Bevington, F.,… & Pronk, N. (2021). Practice Full Report: Updating Health Literacy for Healthy People 2030: Defining Its Importance for a New Decade in Public Health. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(6), S258.
Schneider, M. J. (2020). Introduction to public health. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Schüz, B., Li, A. S. W., Hardinge, A., McEachan, R. R., & Conner, M. (2017). Socioeconomic status as a moderator between social cognitions and physical activity: Systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 30, 186-195.