Topic 2 DQ 1 PSY 352
Discuss developmental, gender, and sociocultural factors in health. Provide examples of
each and identify the impact on the individual and the community.
There is a lot that affects a person’s health, things like their development, gender, and
sociocultural have ties in our health. Experiences and the environment people grow up with can
significantly influence their health habits and disease risk as they age. These developmental
stages are critical for establishing patterns for life. An example is link we have found between
children playing video games and type 2 diabetes (Lebby et al., 2023). Children are no longer
getting outside and playing, their lifestyle is now sedentary. There are life-long implications with
type 2 diabetes which include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, and the
possibility for amputations increases exponentially (Mayo Clinic). Gender plays a big factor in
health too. Men are more likely to get kidney stones, emphysema, and Parkinson’s. Women are
more likely to suffer from mental health issues, autoimmune diseases, stroke, and develop
osteoporosis (Harvard Health, 2019). We touched on the sociocultural and socioeconomically
disparities in healthcare a bit last week. Things that are included are income, education, cultural
beliefs, and ethnicity, there are biases towards minorities. Those who are poor are less likely to
have access to medical care or the ability to seek out medical care. Different cultures have
different beliefs about illness and the role of healthcare. Language barriers take tolls on those
who may need to seek treatment (Lambton Public Health, 2024). Has there ever been something
that stopped you from seeking healthcare and if so, what was it? I married into a family that was
known for drug seeking behaviors, therefore any time we had to go to the hospital the first thing
they would say to me or my children is that they would not prescribe anything for pain. It did not
matter why we were coming in, like when my middle daughter had been hit in the face with a
rock, it took the doctor over an hour to even come in our room, she had bled through two of their
towels and ended up needing stitching. I felt like we did not receive good care compared to
people with a different last name. I started taking us to a different hospital two hours away before
I would allow myself or my kids to be seen there.
Harvard Health. (2019, August 26). Mars vs. Venus: The gender gap in health.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/mars-vs-venus-the-gender-gap-in- health
, Lambton Public Health. (2024, January 25). Social Factors that Impact Your Health - Income,
Education, & More. https://lambtonpublichealth.ca/health-info/social-factors/#:~:text=In
%20addition%20to% 20genetics%20and,of%20what%20keeps%20us%20healthy.
Lebby, S. R., Shyam, S., Ramadas, A., Bohm, A. R., Hill, J. C., Fortuna, K. L., & Zoltick, S. R.
(2023). Prospective association between video and computer game use during adolescence and
incidence of metabolic health risks: secondary data analysis. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 6,
e44920. https://doi.org/10.2196/44920
Mayo Clinic. “Type 2 Diabetes.” Mayo Clinic, 14 Mar. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193.
Hi Judy,
I am so glad you brought up food deserts. I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, the only
grocery stores were over thirty minutes away. We knew a lot of people who did not own a car to
get to the store. They had to buy their food from the gas stations and the Dollar General that
eventually came to town. The only other way that they could get food was by buying it from one
of the restaurants in town. This leads to them eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, neglecting
their bodies’ need for essential vitamins and minerals. This affects physical and mental health.
Food deserts can lead to numerous health problems including, obesity, diabetes, high blood
pressure, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, and so much more (Lambton Public Health, 2024). In
the town I grew up in many if not most of the townsfolk suffer from these diseases. Some
information I just found out while reviewing this information is that birth defects, miscarriages,
and infertility (Cassidy-Vu et al., 2022). Addressing the issue of food deserts especially in small
rural areas is difficult. These are areas where the only way to get a grocery store would be to
charge outrageous prices and stores like Walmart cannot deliver that far out. There is no easy
answer, however community gardens, farmers markets during the summer when fresh fruits and
vegetables are available, and group transport to grocery stores year-round, as well as education
about healthy choices and nutrition as well as canning would all be beneficial to alleviate the
problems of food deserts. What are some things that you can think of that would help this issue?
Discuss developmental, gender, and sociocultural factors in health. Provide examples of
each and identify the impact on the individual and the community.
There is a lot that affects a person’s health, things like their development, gender, and
sociocultural have ties in our health. Experiences and the environment people grow up with can
significantly influence their health habits and disease risk as they age. These developmental
stages are critical for establishing patterns for life. An example is link we have found between
children playing video games and type 2 diabetes (Lebby et al., 2023). Children are no longer
getting outside and playing, their lifestyle is now sedentary. There are life-long implications with
type 2 diabetes which include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, and the
possibility for amputations increases exponentially (Mayo Clinic). Gender plays a big factor in
health too. Men are more likely to get kidney stones, emphysema, and Parkinson’s. Women are
more likely to suffer from mental health issues, autoimmune diseases, stroke, and develop
osteoporosis (Harvard Health, 2019). We touched on the sociocultural and socioeconomically
disparities in healthcare a bit last week. Things that are included are income, education, cultural
beliefs, and ethnicity, there are biases towards minorities. Those who are poor are less likely to
have access to medical care or the ability to seek out medical care. Different cultures have
different beliefs about illness and the role of healthcare. Language barriers take tolls on those
who may need to seek treatment (Lambton Public Health, 2024). Has there ever been something
that stopped you from seeking healthcare and if so, what was it? I married into a family that was
known for drug seeking behaviors, therefore any time we had to go to the hospital the first thing
they would say to me or my children is that they would not prescribe anything for pain. It did not
matter why we were coming in, like when my middle daughter had been hit in the face with a
rock, it took the doctor over an hour to even come in our room, she had bled through two of their
towels and ended up needing stitching. I felt like we did not receive good care compared to
people with a different last name. I started taking us to a different hospital two hours away before
I would allow myself or my kids to be seen there.
Harvard Health. (2019, August 26). Mars vs. Venus: The gender gap in health.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/mars-vs-venus-the-gender-gap-in- health
, Lambton Public Health. (2024, January 25). Social Factors that Impact Your Health - Income,
Education, & More. https://lambtonpublichealth.ca/health-info/social-factors/#:~:text=In
%20addition%20to% 20genetics%20and,of%20what%20keeps%20us%20healthy.
Lebby, S. R., Shyam, S., Ramadas, A., Bohm, A. R., Hill, J. C., Fortuna, K. L., & Zoltick, S. R.
(2023). Prospective association between video and computer game use during adolescence and
incidence of metabolic health risks: secondary data analysis. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 6,
e44920. https://doi.org/10.2196/44920
Mayo Clinic. “Type 2 Diabetes.” Mayo Clinic, 14 Mar. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193.
Hi Judy,
I am so glad you brought up food deserts. I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, the only
grocery stores were over thirty minutes away. We knew a lot of people who did not own a car to
get to the store. They had to buy their food from the gas stations and the Dollar General that
eventually came to town. The only other way that they could get food was by buying it from one
of the restaurants in town. This leads to them eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, neglecting
their bodies’ need for essential vitamins and minerals. This affects physical and mental health.
Food deserts can lead to numerous health problems including, obesity, diabetes, high blood
pressure, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, and so much more (Lambton Public Health, 2024). In
the town I grew up in many if not most of the townsfolk suffer from these diseases. Some
information I just found out while reviewing this information is that birth defects, miscarriages,
and infertility (Cassidy-Vu et al., 2022). Addressing the issue of food deserts especially in small
rural areas is difficult. These are areas where the only way to get a grocery store would be to
charge outrageous prices and stores like Walmart cannot deliver that far out. There is no easy
answer, however community gardens, farmers markets during the summer when fresh fruits and
vegetables are available, and group transport to grocery stores year-round, as well as education
about healthy choices and nutrition as well as canning would all be beneficial to alleviate the
problems of food deserts. What are some things that you can think of that would help this issue?
