Poverty’s Impact on Health and Development of Children
The surrounding environment plays a significant part in the molding character of an individual and health in general, particularly for minors. Affording an enabling environment dominated by respect and responsible people leads typically to a healthy upbringing of children and vice versa. Honestly, sound health and wellness are paramount for enhanced longevity, productivity, and performance. Practically, not all people do enjoy sound health for diverse reasons, of which poverty falls among them. Indeed, a diseased society usually experiences higher rates of poverty, the reverse is equally valid, and this negatively influences the entire community (Gupta, de Wit & McKeown, 2007). Consequently, there is a great need for concerted efforts to fight poverty and diseases to improve the welfare and wellness of people, especially that of juveniles, since the future entirely depends on them.
Background Information and Consequences Related to Health and Poverty
Poverty is a socio-economic, political, ethical, and social justice issue, which has lived for long, and therefore concerted efforts by all stakeholders would handle and manage the globally disturbing menace in line with the systems theory of sociology. Most parts of the world today experience some degree of poverty including the US and this influences social order. Indeed, extreme poverty usually compellingly deprives victims of the fundamental basic needs and social amenities required for smooth subsistence. In other words, the majority that experience poverty have to turn resilient by adapting or adjusting accordingly to bear the debilitating circumstances for purposes of living as succinctly demonstrated by the resilient theory of sociology (Michailakis & Schirmer, 2014). Truly, poverty is a severe socio-economic issue, which influences the health and wellbeing of children, and this may proceed up to adulthood stages of growth and development.
For example, minors born and bred in families with low incomes alongside resources tend to experience severe health conditions or poor health outcomes and vice versa. In other words, children living in families or neighborhoods with critical financial challenges are prone to contract several cognitive, infectious, and nutritionally related ailments, which affect health and wellness for long periods. This is because poor and concentrated neighborhoods stand exposed to several antisocial and criminal problems such as violence, robberies, prostitution, early marriages, alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse, among others (Gupta et al., 2007). Some of these preventable diseases include stress and depression, obesity, asthma, cholera, HIV/AIDS, and other lifestyle-related infections. This eventually interferes with the learning processes and activities of school-going children because of failure or inability to seek healthcare services compared to the rich. It ultimately exacerbates the already bad health situation in the neighborhood, especially among the financially marginalized and oppressed communities such as Latinos, Asians, and Blacks in the US.
Biological, Psychological, Social, and Cultural Significance of Poverty
As already highlighted in the paper, extreme poverty influences health, overall growth, and development in children and deserves fighting at all costs. It deprives accessibility to basic human needs, and this brings harm to health. Biologically, poverty substantially interferes with the functional health of minors. Healthy growth and development of essential organs and tissues in infants face challenges because of unhealthful nutrition leading to impairments. Similarly, deprivation of fundamental human needs may lead to a buildup of anxiety, stress, and depression associated with poor parenting styles such as aggression or violence (Wood, 2003). This may affect mental health and wellness, leading to psychological problems in either the short or long term.
Specifically, in a diverse society where cultural inclusivity is lacking, the oppressed, suppressed, and marginalized people, such as people of color in the US, frequently experience income disparities and therefore suffer disproportionate levels of poverty. This explains why health-related gaps in such societies exist, leading to poor health outcomes and high mortality rates, especially among children (Michailakis & Schirmer, 2014). Socially, the financially challenged in society usually witness some degree of discrimination from the economically and materially endowed. This affects social interactions, which again may exacerbate mental health conditions of victims in line with the systems theory. That is why the high prevalence of asocial and illicit conduct is recorded among such people since they lack the financial ability required to seek quality care and management of such health conditions.
Developmental Characteristics Related to Childhood
All humankind, particularly juveniles, require an enabling environment full of love, care, and emotional support to grow and mature into respectable and dependable adults. However, not all young ones get conducive environments meant to support proper growth and development as required because of socio-economic inequities. Children bred under neighborhoods with economic hardships tend to develop problems related to social relations as compared to their affluent counterparts. Because of inadequate parental love, care, and warmth, they may turn out to be antisocial or social misfits, and this affects general health and wellness. Moreover, such children may start engaging in unlawful activities such as child labor or premature sexual encounters to augment what parents are unable to provide (Greene, 2017). Indeed, this justifies why illegal activities and practices such as gangs, drugs, violence, and much more may dominate poor neighborhoods compared to regions with financial and material endowments.
Social Work Knowledge of Poverty and Health alongside Theories
As already hinted in the paper, poverty, and health largely correlate. Honestly, as poverty levels rise, health and wellness deteriorate and vice versa. This calls for concerted efforts of all key stakeholders such as social workers and criminal justice systems, among others, to handle and manage successfully. To reduce poverty levels and to enhance health and wellness requires the input of a wealth of knowledge and expertise from various sectors, as demonstrated through resilience and systems theories of social work. Systems theory in social work highlights the collective responsibility of all primary stakeholders in handling, and managing issues meant to reduce poverty and improve health and wellness that does prove challenging to handle single-handedly (Michailakis & Schirmer, 2014). For instance, spiritual leaders, healthcare officials, social workers, and victims, among others, should operate synergistically to reduce poverty and enhance health and wellness in different population groups.
On the other hand, resilience theory concerning poverty, health, and social work focus on risk and protective factors, which enable victims to persevere, withstand, and maneuver through the hard and harsh health conditions brought about by severe socioeconomic conditions to remain healthy (Greene, 2017). Applying all the possible and acceptable means to continue surviving despite numerous challenges related to poverty is what resilience theory entails in social work. For instance, a sick child in a poor neighborhood may find help from a spiritual leader or religious organization within the vicinity. Spiritual leaders and organizations may equally provide material assistance such as donations to the affected, and this may help towards psychological comfort and healing. However, the resilient theory in social work has a weakness in that it focuses on how to endure and wade through the challenging health and poverty-related conditions, which proves challenging to children.
Recommendations and Conclusion
Poverty is a socioeconomic issue, which causes impairments to the health and wellbeing of all people, especially among the youth. A neighborhood ravaged by poverty usually has higher prevalence rates of various preventable and contagious infections, which influence health. In other words, economic inequalities bear immense influence on health in terms of biological, psychological, and cultural aspects. Consequently, through the application of systems and resilience theories of social work coupled with concerted efforts of all primary stakeholders, would significantly help reduce poverty rates and eventually improve overall health (Michailakis & Schirmer, 2014). For instance, collaborative and committed working relations of governments, religious groups, healthcare facilities, and victims would indeed contribute to the reduction of poverty and the enhancement of general public health. Specifically, the elimination of stereotypical cultures and practices or encouragement of diversity and inclusivity would help reduce socioeconomic disparities, which exacerbate poor health.
Individually, social workers should work in liaison with various government agencies such as criminal justice systems to identify individuals suffering from various socioeconomic disparities or inequities and try to redress the same for improvement of public health and wellbeing, particularly of minors (Greene, 2017). Similarly, religious and cultural leaders should equally advocate for equality or diversity and inclusivity alongside spiritual nourishment to strengthen society emotionally. Precisely, poverty and ill-health are severe social issues worth fighting through all legitimate means possible.
To conclude, the future of society lies in the hands of juveniles. Consequently, ensuring improved general health and wellness of youths is paramount. Therefore, stakeholders working in synergy would help redress the situation via the application of systems and resilience theories, as stated in the paper.
References
Greene, R. R. (2017). Risk and resilience theory: A social work perspective. Human behavior theory and social work practice (pp. 315-342). Routledge.
Gupta, R. P. S., de Wit, M. L., & McKeown, D. (2007). The impact of poverty on the current and future health status of children. Paediatrics & child health, 12(8), 667-672.
Michailakis, D., & Schirmer, W. (2014). Social work and social problems: A contribution from systems theory and constructionism. International journal of social welfare, 23(4), 431-442.
Wood, D. (2003). Effect of child and family poverty on child health in the United States. Pediatrics, 112(Supplement 3), 707-711.
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