Question

To improve the nation's health and resolve disparities among its vulnerable populations, it is important to know the social/medical determinants as well as the potential points of intervention. Describe in detail the social and medical determinants' contribution to these disparities. Explain how social, medical, health care, and individual-level interventions can resolve these problems.

Requirements of the paper:

·APA format

·Cover sheet

·2-3 pages (excluding the cover sheet and reference page) typed on the subject

·Reference page with a minimum of three cited references published in the last 5 years

Answer 1

Vulnerable Populations

Being at risk of poor physical, psychological, or social health based on the WHOs definition of health as a "state of complete physical mental, and social well being"

3 components of Vulnerable populations conceptual model

1. Resource Availability

2. Relative Risk

3. Health status

-The Central Point of the Model Demonstrates the importance of nursing research and practice, along with ethical and policy analysis, in affecting resources, relative risk, and health status.

Resource Availability

○ Lack of resources (e.g., socioeconomic and environmental) increases a population's exposure to risk factors and reduces their ability to avoid illness

Relative Risk

○ Refers to exposure to risk factors identified by a substantial body of research as lifestyle, behaviors and choices, use of health screening services, and stressful events.

Health status

○ A community's health status can be observed by noting disease prevalence along with morbidity and mortality rates

Risk Factors for a Vulnerable Population

• Age

• Gender

• Education

• Race and ethnicity

• Social support

• Education

• Income

• Life change

Groups at Risk

• High -risk mothers and infants of concern

• Chronically ill and disabled

• Persons living with HIV/AIDS

• Mentally ill and disabled

• Alcohol substance abuse

• Suicide homicide prone behavior

• Abusive families

• Homelessness

• Immigrants/refugees

Health Behaviors of Vulnerable populations

• Vulnerable populations engage in fewer health promoting activities (regular physicals, healthful eating, wearing helmets) and in more risk behavior activities (smoking, substance abuse, excessive alcohol)

• Suggestions are that psycho-social factors creating stress lead to unhealthy behavior.

Modifiable and Non-modifiable Risks

Modifiable: Poverty, low education level of social support, Lifestyle, disease, coping skills

Non-Modifiable:Age, gender, ethnicity

Gender predisposition sensitivity to drugs, persons temperament.

#. The major inerventions to resolve this problem are :-

- promote health equity

- improve quality of life

- promoting good health environment

- provision of healthcare services

- prevention of disease

- policy formulation and modifications as per needs

- surveillance