Fundamental Cause Theory, Epidemiology, and Covid-19
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major fundamental cause of most health inequities across the world. Just looking at this statement alone is really heart wrenching since SES is something many people cannot control. In fact, a lot of us are born into this structure that almost has the ability to determine the quality of our own lives. It isn’t until we are old enough that we can actually have the opportunity to step outside of this structure and form a life of our own and sometimes that is nearly impossible in itself. SES is tiered in a way that makes living either really enjoyable, and smooth sailing, or very rigorous, and energy draining. With SES being so life telling, it truly has the ability to effect one’s access to health care, exposure to environmental hazards, or even poor health behaviors. Over the past few years, we have seen many ways in which the fundamental cause theory, and SES have affected one’s overall life throughout the COVID 19 pandemic.
One of the most crucial takeaways we have gained from the COVID 19 pandemic is that each individual is at risk no matter your socioeconomic, location in which you reside, or the environmental hazards around you; COVID 19 impacted everyone at some point in time. Unfortunately, not all social groups were impacted in the same ways or for the same reasons and this is specifically reflected in the fundamental cause theory, looking more deeply into the association between socioeconomic status and health disparities. It is important to realize all the struggles minority groups faced during these past couple of years, because although it may not have been in our faces and affecting us directly, it was causing the lives of others to be much more difficult than once imagined. One of the biggest and most observed difficulties was access to the many different forms of healthcare. Throughout the this pandemic we were all urged to get tested, get vaccinated, and wear proper PPE when out in public. For many of the minority groups, getting to testing/vaccination sites wasn’t always an option. People struggling with low SES usually work multiple jobs taking up more than 12 hours of their days. They don’t usually have the availability to take time off of work or have the means of transportation to get them and their families where they needed to for necessary appointments. They usually live in run down neighborhoods that are far away from these testing sites so hearing about new openings or opportunities comes available later to these groups, causing them to miss out on many of these clinics. On top of this, people who are not part of minority groups tend to have easier access to these clinics. With limited availability, these clinics are wiped out from people with higher SES and left empty for those minority groups struggling to stay on top of things. In addition to testing sites was the quickly filled hospitals. People within minority groups usually lack health insurance or any access to health care, so if they contracted COVID 19 they most likely stayed home and struggled through it on their own without proper medical care or medicine. The hospitals filled up fast and overflowed in many areas, and unfortunately the first people there were those outside of these minority groups. If anyone within a minority was able to get in, they were usually cared for last and left by themselves struggling in a waiting room. So many people were turned down during this time, leaving the struggling to figure out this new path themselves.
In addition to unequal access, is poor living conditions and health. Minority groups tend to be more at risk for being immunocompromised thus creating an even larger barrier between them and the outside world or access to necessary help. They tend to lack good overall health as their living conditions may be more run down, the air quality within and around their homes is usually congested and contaminated, and they tend to lack money to supply them and their families with healthy foods or new clothes, hygiene, or even necessary cleaning supplies. Without these essential things, it is hard to stay away from germs and illness. These few tangible things add up and become very expensive inhibiting these minority groups to even think about the possibility of staying out of risk. COVID 19 was detrimental to these families in more ways than one, but without equal access to healthcare, or other necessities like cleaning supplies and food, living a healthy lifestyle becomes very difficult, thus putting any individual at even more risk of short or long term illness.
In my own experience, I never really struggle with access to health care and I can confidently say I have taken that for granted. I had some friends ask me to drive them and their family members to testing or vaccine clinics due to the fact that clinics around them were sold out early into the pandemic. At the time I was a college student outside of a minority group trying my hardest to help out in any ways that I could. I had access to transportation which made living through this pandemic much easier than those who had to prioritize public transportation with bus schedules and only certain stops. I did grocery shopping for loved ones, helped out friends and their families with transportation, and cared for those who couldn’t always care for themselves. We had many supply shortages, outside of tests and vaccines, during this pandemic, and those in minority groups struggled to get to store before these things were off the shelves. I worked at food pantries, shelters, and help in any ways that I could because even though it wasn’t easy to live through myself, it was making someone else’s life a little easier. Equal access to healthcare is a subject we struggle to think of everyday of our lives and so many of us take it for granted, so doing my part, even if it was a minuscule thing, made so many other around me smile and be able to enjoy their day a little more than they could before.
