Health and Aging Chapter 17

After studying this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Know what sociologists mean by the sick role. Describe the basic characteristics of the U.S. health-care system. Understand the link between demographic factors and health. Describe the three major models of illness prevention. Describe the basic demographic features of the older population in the United States

The Experience of Illness Talcott Parsons (1951) The existence of a sick role. A shared set of cultural norms that legitimates deviant behavior caused by the illness and channels the individual into the health-care system.

Four Components of the sick role First, the sick person is excused from normal social responsibilities, except to the extent that he or she is supposed to do whatever is necessary to get well. Second, the sick person is not held responsible for his or her condition and is not expected to recover by an act of will. Third, the sick person must recognize that being ill is undesirable and must want to recover. Finally, the sick person is obligated to seek medical care and cooperate with the advice of the designated experts, notably the physicians. In this sense, sick people are not blamed for their illnesses, but they must work toward regaining their health.

Health Care in the United States Our approach to medicine is organized around the cure or control of serious diseases and repairing physical injuries, rather than caring for the sick or preventing disease. The American medical-care system is highly technological, specialized, and increasingly centralized.

The United States has the most advanced healthcare resources in the world.

How do you view America’s health care system? What can be done to make it better?

Gender and Health Even though the life expectancy for both men and women has increased, the increase has been greater for women. Why do you think the life expectancy for women is greater than for men?

Race and Health Life expectancies for whites and blacks also differ markedly. Black health figures have changed in the last ten years. Hispanic Americans have a higher infant mortality rate, a shorter life expectancy, and higher rates of death from influenza, pneumonia, diabetes, and accidents.

Social Class and Health Do you feel we should have a universal heath care system? Part of the reason why the poor have higher death rates is because they have less access to high quality medical care, good nutrition, and are less likely to feel they have control over their life circumstances.

Age and Health Medical science lengthen the life span of most Americans, the problem of medical care for the aged becomes more acute.

Education and Health Death rates for those with a college education are considerably lower than those with less education and particularly those who have not completed high school.

Women in Medicine Women have always played a major role in U.S. health care Women also represent 34% of all medical faculty compared to 26% in 1998. Consider women physicians “more sensitive, more altruistic, and less egoistic” than men. Patients who see a female physician report a significantly higher total satisfaction level than those who see a male physician.

Contemporary Health-Care Issues Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Health Insurance Preventing Illness

Of the 551,932 persons living with AIDS at the end of 2007: 48% were black, 33% were white, 17% were Hispanic, 1% were Asian/Pacific Islander, and less than 1% were American Indian/Alaska Native.

AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is a member of the retrovirus family. HIV gradually incapacitates the immune system by infecting at least two types of white blood cells. HIV is transmitted through sexual contact, piercing the skin with HIV-contaminated instruments, transfusion of contaminated blood products, and transplantation of contaminated tissue

Most people pay for their health services through some form of insurance. Poor people, however, cannot afford premiums or the out-of-pocket expenses required before insurance coverage begins. They receive coverage through the government sponsored Medicare and Medicaid programs

Preventing Illness Assume that aggressive medical procedures work better than other approaches.

Ways to prevent diseases: Adopt better diets, with more whole grains and less red meat, sugar, and salt Stop smoking, Exercise regularly, Keep their weight down,

We must also think of illness prevention as involving at least three levels: . Medical Behavioral Structural

Medical prevention is directed at the individual’s body Behavioral prevention is directed at changing people’s behavior Structural prevention is directed at changing the society or the environments within which people work and live.

The Aging Population There are demographic and medical reasons for the growth in the older population. Elderly Americans are among the wealthiest and among the poorest in our nation. They come from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Older Population Percentage Age 65 and Older Japan 22% Italy 19.5% Germany 18.6% Spain 16.9% France 16.4% United States 12.4% World 7.4% Asia 6.4% Latin America 6.1% Africa 3.4%

Until the last 50 years, most gains in life expectancy came as the result of improved child mortality. Increasing life expectancy, especially accompanied by low fertility, changes the structure of families.

Composition of the Older Population Elderly Americans are among the wealthiest and among the poorest in our nation. They come from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Some are employed full-time, while others require fulltime care. While general health has improved, many elderly suffer from poor health.

Aging and the Sex Ratio Women outnumber men at every age category among the elderly. Women at any age are less likely to die than men. There are approximately 105 male babies born for every 100 female babies, but higher male death rates cause the sex ratio to decline as age increases, and around age 35, females outnumber males in the United States. At ages 85 and older, the ratio is 41 men per 100 women. There were three women for every two men age 65 or older. Among those over age 85, there is one man for every three women.

Aging and Race Why does the black-white lifespan gap disappear and even reverse as the two races get older?

Aging and Marital Status Marriage is important for older Americans for several reasons. The presence of a spouse provides a variety of resources in the household. Married elderly are less likely to be poor, to enter a nursing home, or to be in poor health. Spouses are the primary caregivers to their partners. Women in the United States are more likely than men to outlive their spouse because they live longer. Life expectancy of women, this disparity also is caused by the fact that men tend to marry women younger than themselves.

Aging and Wealth Three factors have caused the elderly to control a substantial and increasing portion of the nation’s wealth. The share of households headed by the elderly has been increasing, thereby increasing the aggregate wealth of older Americans. The stock market growth has benefited the affluent elderly who control a large portion of individual stock holdings. The escalation in home values in many states has boosted the net worth of the elderly because most older Americans own their own homes.

Global Aging The percentage of the elderly population living alone varies widely among nations.