Socioeconomic Gradient in Health and Global Inequality (10A) - MCAT Psychological and Social Foundations

Deprivation compared with societal standards or peers. Having less than what's considered normal in one's society.

Health improves stepwise as socioeconomic status increases. Each increase in SES level corresponds to better health outcomes.

Morbidity increases as socioeconomic status decreases. Lower SES is associated with higher rates of illness and disease.

Health disparities. These differences are avoidable and unjust, not biologically determined.

Fair opportunity for all to attain full health potential. Removes barriers so everyone can achieve their best possible health.

Equality is same resources; equity is resources matched to need. Equity recognizes different starting points require different support.

Allostatic load. Cumulative biological cost of repeated stress response activation.

Social and environmental conditions shaping health risks and care. Non-medical factors like housing and education affect health outcomes.

Income (or wealth). Money directly enables purchasing healthcare, food, and housing.

Inability to meet basic needs (food, shelter, safety). Lacks resources for survival regardless of others' circumstances.

Shift from infectious to chronic disease as development increases. Nations progress from high infectious to high chronic disease burden.

Environmental injustice. Marginalized groups face disproportionate pollution and toxic exposure.

Secondary prevention. Catches disease before symptoms appear, improving treatment outcomes.

Those needing care most often have the least access to it. Healthcare availability decreases as population need increases.

Physical separation by race/SES that concentrates risks and limits resources. Creates neighborhoods with unequal environmental hazards and services.

Institutional (structural) racism. Systems and practices that disadvantage racial groups systematically.

SES shapes health via flexible resources across many diseases. SES provides adaptable advantages that protect against various illnesses.

The double burden of disease. Developing countries face both old and new disease challenges simultaneously.

Income inequality within a population. Ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximum inequality).

Years of healthy life lost from disability plus premature death. Combines mortality and morbidity into one health burden metric.

Maternal deaths per $100000$ live births. Reflects healthcare access and quality for pregnant women.

Education. Genotype is biological; education limits opportunities and health literacy.

Environmental injustice. Low-income areas face disproportionate toxic exposures.

Gini coefficient. GDP measures total wealth; Gini measures distribution inequality.

Graded effect (continuous stepwise differences across SES levels). Health improves continuously with each SES increase, not just above a threshold.

Insufficient resources to meet basic needs (food, shelter, safety). Lacks minimum resources for survival, regardless of others' wealth.

Deprivation compared with others in the same society. Poor relative to societal standards, even if basic needs are met.

Inequality = difference; inequity = unfair, avoidable difference. Inequity adds moral judgment that the difference is unjust.

Social and economic conditions shaping health risks and outcomes. Non-medical factors like income, education, and housing affect health.