Introduction
The study of the population provides an opportunity to gain an understanding of the condition of certain individuals and what measures can be taken to improve this aspect. In particular, this factor is useful for the healthcare field, in which accessibility and diversity are particularly critical. Thus, the low-income population of the United States of America has a special need for examination and analysis since these measures will contribute to the allocation of health promotion activity for issues that these people experience.
First, before discussing the necessary health interventions, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what the low-income population of the United States is. Therefore, this population has limited financial resources and is unable to meet its basic needs. In some sources, this population group is also called individuals living in poverty since low-income status is determined by specific low-income line. Research stated that “the official poverty rate in 2021 was 11.6 percent, with 37.9 million people in poverty” in the USA (Creamer et al., 2022, para. 2). Official data on these statistics are obtained after conducting a specialized study of the American population by Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Low-income population meets with more barriers that arise in front of them due to low earnings. They meet restrictions in such areas as education and medicine, which are the most critical.
Demographics
Demography is the first factor worth considering when studying the low-income population of the United States of America. This aspect includes the study of such aspects as race, age, and gender. Hence, regarding America, it is worth noting that the low-income population group includes a fairly large variety of people. At the same time, statistics show that some individuals suffer from this problem more than others. It is implied that “in 2021, 19.5 percent of Black people living in the United States were living below the poverty line; this is compared to 8.2 percent of White people, and 8.1 percent of Asian people” (“Poverty rate in the United States in 2021,” n.d., para. 1). Moreover, in the same year, “poverty rate was highest among people under the age of 18, with a rate of 16.87 percent for male Americans and a rate of 17 percent for female Americans” (“Poverty rate in the United States in 2021,” n.d., para. 1). On the other hand, men and women aged 65 to 74 experiences less low-income status. This information is particularly concerning as it emphasizes that the problem of lack of resources is most reflected in the underage population.
Socioeconomics
The next aspect is the study of the socioeconomic status of representatives of the low-income population of the US. This is due to the fact that studies have shown a direct relationship between this indicator and the availability of healthcare for individuals (McMaughan et al., 2020). Socioeconomic status depends on such basic aspects as position, education, and employment status. Furthermore, research showed that the poorest states in America include Mississippi (18.4%), Louisiana (16.7%), New Mexico (15.9%), and the District of Columbia (14.6%) (Amadeo, 2022). In these territories, there is the largest number of people who are faced with financial insecurities and cannot provide themselves with the highest quality health services.
In addition, regarding education, it is worth noting that this indicator also causes concern. It is due to the fact that people of the low-income population do not have the opportunity and access to continuing their studies after school. In the most critical cases, some individuals do not go beyond high school. This factor is because “dropout rates of 16 to 24-year-old students who come from low-income families are seven times more likely to drop out than those from families with higher incomes” (“11 facts about education and poverty in America” n.d., para. 6). Moreover, among individuals who are in poverty, the majority have no education, which thereby limits their ability to find a job with a good salary. Criticality also represents the fact that the lack of education significantly affects the health of these people and thereby affects the quality of their health.
Environmental Hazards
There are a large number of environmental hazards that can pose a danger to the low-income population. One of the leading ones is the pollution of nature due to industrial activity. This human activity has a negative impact on natural resources, as it contributes to water and air pollution. Thus, people of their low-income population cannot access clean drinking water, which can lead to an increase in diseases and health problems. In addition, another environmental hazard becomes food insecurity. It is stated that “in 2020, 13.8 million households were food insecure at some time during the year” (“Food insecurity,” n.d., para. 2). It is important to understand that this indicator does not imply hunger, but it is a possible outcome. Therefore, food insecurity is limited access of citizens to quality food that can support the health and well-being of individuals.
Access to Healthcare
The problem of accessibility of healthcare services poses a great threat for low-income population. This is due to the fact that these individuals do not have the opportunity to learn the necessary medical insurance that could help them maintain their health. Statistics show that for this part of American society, “the uninsured rate dropped from 18.1% in 2019 to 17.1% in 2021 while the uninsured rate declined from 7.9% to 7.5% for those with incomes greater than 200% FPL” (Tolbert et al., 2022, para. 1). This shows a slight but positive trend in expanding the availability of medical services.
Mortality and Morbidity Risk
The first risk is the financial side of the life of the low-income population. This factor is important because “income is a strong predictor of adult mortality” (Shi et al., 2021, 1). Thus, individuals are deprived of the opportunity to purchase high-quality food, necessary medications to treat serious illnesses and receive insurance, which also contributed to improving their well-being (Ghosh et al., 2019). The next risk factor for mortality is environmental pollution. As already mentioned, people from low-income areas can get poisoned due to water or food, due to human industrial activity.
The third factor is poor living conditions, which are the result of a lack of financial means to maintain a satisfactory standard of living. These may be more disadvantaged areas or unsanitary places of residence that are undesirable for people. The fourth risk for low-income individuals is low access to health services. This is due to the fact that at the moment there is an insufficient number of effective works with these groups of the population. In addition, these people do not have the opportunity to pay for training, which also limits awareness of the importance of medical knowledge.
Health Promotion Activity
Having collected all the necessary information, it is possible to single out several health promotion activities for each health issue identified. Hence, the first problem is the insufficient level of education of the population regarding the topic of healthcare. The introduction of specialized programs for this group of people can be practical as it will significantly reduce the flow of patients with minor illnesses and free up the work of the hospital for more severe cases. In addition, the education of the population will assist in increasing the availability of health services and spreading awareness about the pollution of water and nature. Thus, people will gain an understanding of their own resources and the need for their precise verification and study. It is worth emphasizing that the introduction of measures to expand opportunities in the medical field for low-income people becomes a necessary Health promotion activity. Therefore, it will provide minorities with diverse backgrounds with the necessary assistance in the absence of the possibility of obtaining insurance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study of certain populations is valuable because it gives an idea of what it is and what problems it faces low-income individuals have a rather difficult life as they experience financial, social, and medical limitations. Henceforth, as a health promotion activity for this type of people, there is a need to create educational programs and approaches that expand the availability of health services. It is critically important to study this population group in order to improve their living conditions and the quality of healthcare.
References
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Creamer, J., Shrider, E. A., Burns, K. & Chen, F. (2022). Poverty in the United States: 2021. Census. Web.
Food insecurity. (n.d.). U.S. Department of Agriculture. Web.
Ghosh, A., Simon, K., & Sommers, B. D. (2019). The effect of health insurance on prescription drug use among low-income adults: evidence from recent Medicaid expansions. Journal of Health Economics, 63, 64-80. Web.
McMaughan, D. J., Oloruntoba, O., & Smith, M. L. (2020). Socioeconomic status and access to healthcare: interrelated drivers for healthy aging. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 231. Web.
Poverty rate in the United States in 2021, by age and gender. (n.d.). Statista. Web.
Poverty rate in the United States in 2021, by ethnic group. (n.d.). Statista. Web.
Shi, J., Tarkiainen, L., Martikainen, P., & van Raalte, A. (2021). The impact of income definitions on mortality inequalities. SSM-Population Health, 15. Web.
Amadeo, K. (2022). U.S. poverty rate by demographics and state. The balance. Web.
Tolbert, J., Drake, P., & Damico, A. (2022). Key facts about the uninsured population. KFF. Web.