Social justice in healthcare is about delivering and accessing quality healthcare for all individuals, regardless of their social, economic, or political backgrounds. As a health concern, social justice affects different cultures differently, as several social justice issues related to healthcare are affected by issues like culture and race (Wilbur et al., 2020). Therefore, social justice is essential to healthcare. A social marketing campaign to enhance social justice would help promote positive social and behavioral change. However, understanding social justice issues is essential in developing a successful social marketing campaign. This paper addresses social justice issues related to healthcare.
According to Chandanabhumma & Narasimhan (2020), social justice is one of the essential concepts in healthcare. Social justice is premised on the belief that all people should have equal rights, opportunities, and access to resources and services, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics. The concept encompasses various issues, such as discrimination, inequality, poverty, and access to education, healthcare, and housing. Social justice is vital in many ways, which include promoting fairness and equality, which are essential for a peaceful and just society. It also helps to address historical and ongoing injustices, thus leading to a more inclusive and equitable society. Socially just societies are more developed and progressive, which underpins the importance of social justice.
Many factors, including psychological and sociocultural factors, influence physical health and disease. For example, psychological influences include stress, emotions, and mental health. For instance, stress is one of the psychological influences leading to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Sociocultural influences on physical health and disease include access to healthcare, education, and diets (Aguayo‐Mazzucato et al., 2019). Therefore, physical health and disease are influenced by a complex interplay of psychological and sociocultural factors. Understanding the psychological and sociocultural influences of physical health and disease is essential for promoting positive social and behavioral change through effective social marketing campaigns and disease prevention strategies that consider different individuals’ and communities’ unique needs and experiences.
Culture has a significant impact on healthcare and medical delivery systems. Such impact leads to differences among healthcare systems, thus causing differences in health outcomes. For example, certain cultural groups may have higher rates of high blood pressure due to dietary and lifestyle factors. Additionally, cultural beliefs and practices may also impact how individuals seek and receive healthcare, leading to differences in healthcare systems in different cultures (Gopalkrishnan, 2018). For instance, healthcare systems in large metropolitan areas are more enhanced to address chronic illnesses like high blood pressure resulting from cultural factors like diet and lifestyle. On the contrary, healthcare systems in rural areas are less enhanced to address chronic illnesses as rural cultures, like increased physical activities, significantly contribute to reducing chronic illnesses. This difference in healthcare systems implies that different cultures impact healthcare systems and outcomes differently.
Cultural influences contribute to different health outcomes in different ways. For example, genetics is a cultural influence contributing to differences in health outcomes. Genetics plays a significant role in determining health outcomes for certain health conditions. Some individuals are more susceptible to certain health conditions like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia due to their genetics (Hussein et al., 2021). Genetics also contribute to the development of certain health outcomes like cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer like breast and prostate cancer. In addition, lifestyle and behaviors as a cultural influence also contribute to different health outcomes. For example, lifestyles and behaviors in rural areas promote more physical activities and healthy diets, while lifestyles and behaviors in large metropolitan areas promote more sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. These differences in cultural influences lead to better health outcomes among the rural populace and more negative health outcomes in metropolitan populations.
Attitudes and beliefs also contribute to varied health outcomes in different populations. Some populations have better attitudes and beliefs regarding health and healthcare, while others have less informed attitudes and beliefs regarding health and healthcare. These differences in attitudes and beliefs cause significant differences in health outcomes. For example, most people with low levels of education, such as those without a college degree, are likely to harbor less informed attitudes and beliefs in relation to health and healthcare; hence they have lower health outcomes. More educated people have better health outcomes due to more informed attitudes and beliefs in health (Kolbe, 2019). Healthcare and the environment also contribute to differences in health outcomes. For example, quality healthcare achieves better outcomes, while low-quality care leads to adverse outcomes. An individual’s environment could lead to better or adverse health outcomes. For example, a cancer patient with supporting caregivers is likely to achieve better outcomes than a cancer patient without caregivers.
Overall, culture is an essential aspect of health. It influences beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, impacting health, healthcare access, and understanding of health information. Healthcare professionals and providers must be aware of cultural differences in populations and how such differences affect health outcomes, which would help to provide effective and appropriate care.
References
Aguayo‐Mazzucato, C., Diaque, P., Hernandez, S., Rosas, S., Kostic, A., & Caballero, A. E. (2019). Understanding the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the Hispanic population living in the United States. Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews, 35(2), e3097.
Chandanabhumma, P. P., & Narasimhan, S. (2020). Towards health equity and social justice: an applied framework of decolonization in health promotion. Health promotion international, 35(4), 831-840.
Gopalkrishnan, N. (2018). Cultural diversity and mental health: Considerations for policy and practice. Frontiers in public health, pp. 6, 179.
Hussein, N., Henneman, L., Kai, J., & Qureshi, N. (2021). Preconception risk assessment for thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and Tay‐Sachs disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10).
Kolbe, L. J. (2019). School health as a strategy to improve both public health and education. Annual review of public health, 40(1), 443–463.
Wilbur, K., Snyder, C., Essary, A. C., Reddy, S., Will, K. K., & Saxon, M. (2020). Developing workforce diversity in the health professions: a social justice perspective. Health Professions Education, 6(2), 222–229.
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