Jessica Riley: The Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Health & Lifespan - Essay Sample

Introduction

The health and lifespan of people are affected by several issues that exist within the community. These factors include socioeconomic conditions, health-related matters, environment, healthcare services, heredity, as well as lifestyle (Komro et al., 2016). Issues that influence the health and lifespan of;

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Jessica Riley

Being an underage single parent, Jessica's lifespan and health are influenced by factors such as housing, job, and education. After completing her GED, she is currently pursuing an associate's degree in cosmetology at the local college. Jessica now works as a fulltime waitress at a nearby restaurant, and since the money she earns is not enough for school and other expenses, her mother takes care of her baby whenever she can't afford to pay a nanny. Apart from her job, Jessica receives government coupons as well as Medicaid.

Healthwise, Jessica possesses a Medicaid insurance policy that covers her and her son Ryan. She does not have the best lifestyle, given she mostly consumes fast food and does not exercise at all. Jessica is also an active smoker consuming over a packet a day and this habit can become disastrous, given that her lifestyle is not good.

Casey Holmes

Casey is a young and energetic troubled young man who has been in and out of trouble ever since he was a teenager. Casey's behavior can be attributed to her broken family early in his childhood as well as his father's violent nature since he used to hit Casey's stepmother whenever he was angry. Casey moved out of his parent's care right after turning eighteen, and he did not complete his high school studies. Given his educational background, Casey cannot land a good job and he has been in many odd jobs from the time he decided to be a model citizen. Casey has health insurance whenever he has a job and he shares a 12-pack of beer daily with friends. He is now addicted to drugs and alcohol, although he is yet to be diagnosed.

Ryan Riley

Ryan receives help from his mother, grandmother, and other hired carers. Factors influencing Ryan's lifespan include health and health care services. He has been diagnosed with two respiratory illnesses which keep his up at night crying. After several visits to the emergency room, doctors concluded that he has colic.

Health Promotional Activities at Different Ages

During infancy, Ryan is being breastfed, and her mother uses formula as an alternative. His health is monitored and Jessica regularly takes him to the hospital due to his respiratory conditions and regular crying. For Jessica who is a teenager, activities such as eating healthy diets, cessation programs for smoking and regular workout are great health promoters. For Casey, activities such as drug and alcohol cessation, keeping a healthy diet, exercising often and getting a better job can enhance his health.

Health enhancement for the whole family is different from the individual one because the larger the family the higher the cost of improving health. For example, Jessica is financially struggling to care for her baby and herself. Her waitressing job does not earn her enough to pay all of her bills.

The community/neighborhood of residence significantly affects health promotion. In our case study, Jessica, her son, as well as Casey, are affected by their community. Jessica got pregnant while still a teenager and her job pays very little. Casey is involved in gangs from a young age, often uses drugs and does odd construction jobs. The low paying jobs, gangs, drug use and Ryan's respiratory illnesses show a ghetto/bad neighborhood.

References

Komro, K. A., Flay, B. R., Biglan, A., & Wagenaar, A. C. (2016). Research design issues for evaluating complex multicomponent interventions in neighborhoods and communities. Translational behavioral medicine, 6(1), 153-159. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4807196/