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Effects of Income and Social Support on Health and Well - Being

Loreta Doga

Student ID: xxx

May 1, 2014

NURS 153 07

Teacher

Humber College

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Effects of Income and Social Support on Health and Well Being

Concepts of health and its determinants have changed in the last few decades. Those changes
also influence the nursing practice in Canada. The importance of health to nursing is reflected
in nursing models and frameworks, (Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing, 5 th Edition). Health is
a wide concept; it includes physical, emotional, and mental stages of well being which is
affected by different factors. Some of those factors are: Employment and working conditions,
Social Environment, Social Status, and Education, to name only a few. For the purpose of this
assignment, I will be discussing only two of the health determinants: Income and Social Support
Network.
Stonegate community, in the surroundings of Stonegate Plaza, is diverse and made of people
from different nationalities, cultures, beliefs, and races. Many single mothers are also part of this
community as well as families with many children. A few adults are celebrating their hundreds as
the number of newborns is rising. The entire community lives on low to medium income.
Foursquare Gospel Church did spread its wings and welcomed the members of this
community at the Hope for Tomorrow nine years ago. With the motto Love, Acceptance and
Forgiveness this church reaches out to all of the Stonegate Community members by running
different programs for kids, youth and adults. Bread Bank is one of the many programs designed
to help all ages, all cultures and beliefs, all those in need for social and emotional support.
Single mothers, the abused women and the elderly are the most fragile groups in this
community. Hope for Tomorrow, in collaboration with Stonegate Community Health Center, run
different programs that meet the needs of those groups all year around. Everyone is welcome
regardless of his or her age, gender, culture, belief, race and nationality.

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Definition of Health
Health has a different meaning for different people, depending on the situation they are in.
Some people refer to being healthy to their physical status or to what goes on within their
body, others define health based on their mental status and many do include both, physical and
mental status when talking about health and well - being. For many, the notions of health and
wellness, disease and illness are still confusing. The word health comes from the Old English
word hoelth which means whole of body. Historically, people always considered healthy a
person without any disease and that, was the expected normal. Things started to change when the
meaning of health was defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being,
and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, by the World Health Organization (WHO) in
1947.
The role of Income and Social Support on the health and well - being
Health understandings vary from country to country, from city to city, from family to family
and from person to person. Even though many people have a good idea of what well being is
and how to obtain it, their work situation and income does not allow them to live a healthy life
style. A persons well being does definitely depend on the healthy eating habits, good living
conditions, and a stress less life as well as on the social support network. Poverty is the most
important cause of preventable death, disease, and disability, is stated on the article
Microeconomic determinants of health (Subramanian et.al., 287-302). Families who receive a
low income tempt to shop more for cheap products that are high in sugars, salt, preservatives and
spend less on good quality food such fruits, vegetables, fresh meats and fish. The cost of
everyday living has increased during the past few years: rent, utilities, clothing, transportation

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and, not the least, food. Stonegate Community families do struggle with keeping a roof above
their head and pay their bills. They keep going on, from month to month, by cutting down on the
bodys fuel food. As the food prices go higher and the income stays the same, these families are
considered to live in poverty. The most affected are women. Single mothers with no steady jobs
are providing for underage children and disabled family members all the while battling
depression / disabilities of their own.
As the mothers run between part time jobs to provide for their children, they have a higher
stress level and no partner to share it with. They also have difficulties with coping as their
frustration increases. After the divorce, the majority of the responsibilities fall on the mothers.
For those women priorities change; their own health and well being is completely forgotten.
There is not enough time to relax, take a walk at the park, have a coffee with a friend or
participate in socially organized community programs; there is not enough money to afford a
day at the museum with their kids. Based on Womens Legal Education and Action Found
(LEAF)s statistics around 51.6% of Canadian single mothers live in poverty. As the number of
divorced families goes higher, the number of single mothers living in poverty also grows.
Hope for Tomorrow is involved in single mothers lives in our community and helps them
overcome everyday challenges by offering emotional support, play time for kids, free yoga and
meditation classes for the mothers, shopping days at farmers market, bread bank, as well as
other health teaching programs for the mothers and the kids. Stonegate Community Health
Center is where most of the programs take place. Promoting a healthy life style and affordable
solutions is the key to the social programs success.

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Disability is a partial or total impairment, physical or mental, and affects many peoples lives
in different ways. It does not only affect the person who is not able to take care of him/her self,
but also the family members, friends, caregivers and the community. Many women live under
disability conditions either by personally being disabled or by caring for a loved one. They are at
a higher risk for physical and emotional distress, which can lead to other health problems,
physical and psychological. Low - income families with a disabled person face more challenges
and difficulties than the low - income only families. Many of them are socially limited or
isolated, have a low self esteem, lack confidence and depend on government financial support,
which is by far up to meeting their needs. Women who rely on government benefits for their
income (for example, many women with disabilities and single mothers), always live in poverty
because all welfare and disability benefits programs in Canada fall far short of any poverty line,
(LEAF).
People with disability are more vulnerable and more prone to health problems; isolation from
social groups and programs can lead to psychological problems such depression and anxiety.
Poverty is strongly associated with a higher incidence, prevalence, and severity of chronic
illness, acute illness, and injuries, (Stonegate Community Health Center). Participation in
community social programs has increased the coping ability for single mothers and those
affected by disability. Even though the stressors do still exists, the stress level seems to decline.
Knowing that prolonged exposure to every day life stressors increases the risks for altered
overall health, these social programs aim at lowering those risk factors by reducing stress.
Blood Pressure Day is the program that takes place every month. Doctors and nurse
practitioners are involved with health teaching the members of the community. Some of the
topics are: How to take an accurate blood pressure at home? How to monitor your blood

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pressure? How to prevent hypertension? How to take care of yourself if you have hypertension?
What is the importance of a healthy diet and exercise in disease prevention?
Other programs such School Snack Program, Good Food Box, Community Garden, and
Healthy Kitchen aim on teaching different age groups about the importance of a healthy life style
and its impact on peoples well being through social interaction, active participation and
experience exchange. Womens Program is designed to help women, especially those who feel
isolated, frustrated and abused in any way by focused activities, by offering personalized
services, and by providing individual counseling. Stonegate Community Health Center offers
other services for the entire community such Housing Services, Counseling, Seniors Program,
Dental care for low - income families, and more.
Members of the community who participate in more than one social program tend to cope
better with health problems and stress; they feel less lonely, supported, heard, reassured and
given a sense of security as they know that there is always someone they can talk too when they
need help. Stonegate Community Health Center and Hope for Tomorrow notice great
improvement on the community members quality of life and their coping abilities with everyday
challenges.
Conclusion
Low income and lack of social support can negatively affect someones well being, as
well as their entire life. Health centers in collaboration with other organizations, located in low
income communities, are doing an amazing job in helping the members in need, even under a
very low budget. Since their inception, community health centers have addressed the upstream
causes of poor health through a variety of community programs, sponsored directly or in
partnership with others, that connect patients to resources and assistance. These programs allow

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community health centers to work beyond the sphere of health care delivery to address the
social determinants of health, by promoting individual and community health more
comprehensively through broader lifestyle, education, and environmental interventions,
(Annual Review of Public Health, November 2011).
Teaching to the young generation the ways of living healthy, by eating healthy, by being
active, by participating in social activities and building up healthy relationships will open the
doors to an easier path toward a healthier life later on. Every change starts with a conversation, a
relationship and it expands to a family, community, city and province level. Much has to be done
by the provincial government regarding the social assistance for the single mothers and the
disabled members of Canadian communities. There is need for social programs funding. More
programs should open for the young generation so they can learn that health comes by being
active, getting involved and gaining knowledge. An early education on health will prevent many
diseases from hitting the population down the road.

References
Annual Review of Public Health. (2002). The macroeconomic determinants of health. Retrieved
(May 3, 2014) from
http://search.proquest.com.rap.ocls.ca/docview/235220447/fulltext/27F19214EDA24CD4P
Q/6?accountid=11530

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World Health Organization. (WHO). (December 2013). Mental health: a state of well being.
Retrieved (May 2, 2014) from
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/
Womens Legal Education and Action Found. (LEAF). (2006). Women and poverty. Retrieved
(May 2, 2014) from
http://www.leaf.ca/education/documents/EdHO_Women_Poverty.pdf
Stonegate Community Health Center. (May 2008). Why poverty makes us sick? Retrieved (May
1, 14) from
http://www.stonegatechc.org/reports-newsletters/publications.html
Health Affairs. (November 2011). Community Health Centers And Community Development
Financial Institutions: Joining Forces To Address Determinants Of Health. Retrieved (May
2, 2014) from
http://search.proquest.com.rap.ocls.ca/docview/908419488

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