Chapter 8 Answers to "Test Your Knowledge" and "Questions for Critical Thought" questions

The social gradient in health is the correlation between poverty and ill health, and wealth and good health.

Women are left out of important clinical research, (2) women’s bodies have unique health needs and respond differently to medication (the male body can no longer be viewed as the “default” human body), and (3) “female” health issues are completely under-researched.

Women are more likely to be single parents, (2) women are less likely to participate in leisure-time physical activity, and (3) women are more likely to be employed in precarious or non-standard jobs.

Men are less likely to visit the doctor because (1) they do not bother looking for one and (2) they are less likely to consult the doctor even if they have one.

Homecare is preferred because it allows a senior to continue to live comfortably and independently in a familiar environment, reduces the number of seniors requiring hospitalization, and cuts down on exposure to viruses and infections in hospital environments.

Immigrants to Canada tend to experience a decline in health because (1) they may adopt unhealthy habits, (2) they may struggle with the language, (3) they may not have adequate social networks, and (4) they may experience discrimination, alienation, and racism.

Two types of refugee claimants that are eligible for public safety healthcare coverage are refugee claimants from designated countries of origin and refugee claimants who have had their application denied.

A doctor with a heteronormative or gender-normative bias might miss important opportunities to talk about health risks or treat illnesses, neglect to run certain tests, and create an environment where the individual is uncomfortable disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity.

If you decide to argue for “the entire Canadian population,” you may discuss how access to good healthcare is a fundamental right and should be adequately provided for every citizen. However, based on the discussions in the chapter of how various groups experience healthcare differently, disproportionately, and unevenly, a strong answer will likely discuss how equalizing access does not mean providing equal help to everyone, but rather making sure that efforts are tailored to helping specific groups, especially the disadvantaged, achieve equal access to healthcare. You can provide examples that demonstrate how access may differ along class, gender, or racial lines and, therefore, how specific groups of people may require different efforts.

In explaining the quote, you can draw connections between medicine and politics by considering how politics or relations of power are enacted though the practice of medicine and the provision of access to healthcare. In other words, is access to healthcare political? An important concept to consider here is “marginalization,” especially in the context of Indigenous Peoples. Does the state provide healthcare in differential ways to marginalized groups of people, meaning people who are denied power and status within society? Why might they do this? An example you can draw upon to either agree or disagree with the quote pertains to refugees and how they have limited healthcare coverage in Canada. If you agree with politics as medicine, you can discuss how denying healthcare to refugees serves the political purpose of preventing their integration into Canadian society or expresses state attitudes towards non-citizens. If you disagree with politics as medicine, you can discuss how limiting refugees’ healthcare coverage is a way to prevent non-taxpaying citizens from abusing or overusing Canada’s medical system; therefore, medicine works to fulfill functional and societal needs rather than political motives.

There are a variety of reasons why education attainment and income positively impact health. Here are some examples of reasons. Higher educational attainment tends to lead to more secure jobs that provide higher levels of income. Having a secure income allows an individual to engage in behaviours and activities that promote health, such as buying fresh produce rather than processed foods and exercising during leisure time rather than working all the time to fulfill basic needs. Those with higher educational attainment also have greater access to information in regard to their own healthcare, leading to the development of health literacy. Healthcare professionals tend to favour higher-income clients over lower-income individuals, whom they view as being less informed and less helpable. You can draw upon these reasons, or others, to consider how education and income may also have the opposite effect on health. For example, inferring from the point regarding employability, you can consider how higher-income jobs can lead to increased stress, which negatively affects a person’s health. Educational attainment and income impact multiple aspects of a person’s life – ranging from physical and mental health to food and habits – which all in turn help determine a person’s overall level of health.

You can bring in your own beliefs, values, and worldviews when answering this question, as it asks for your opinion on the issue at hand. For some examples of substantive reasons you can give in support of or against providing healthcare, refer to the latter half of question 2’s answer.

In considering how homelessness affects health, you should consider the implications of homelessness, such as a lack of access to clean drinking water, a lack of access to a clean and protected space, and (usually) an inability to support one’s basic needs. These effects of homelessness all negatively impact a person’s health. Solving health problems among homeless people will require addressing these consequences of homelessness. For example, you can consider how providing clean water and nutritious food to homeless people can improve their intrinsic health and, therefore, increase their immune response to future illnesses.