A PBS documentary, titled "Unnatural Causes," discusses how our health is powerfully shaped by social and economic determinants, such as our social class and our level of education. View a four-minute segment of this documentary by going.
Then discuss the following questions.
1. What evidence suggests that social-economic factors are often more important than genes in shaping differences in the health of low income persons and persons of color as compared to relatively affluent persons of Caucasian background?
2. What kinds of social and economic factors shape health outcomes and why?
3. Will expansion of health coverage, such as in national health insurance, end these "health disparities"?
4. Why are low income persons of color often less likely to follow healthy lifestyles, such as through diet and exercise, as compared to more affluent persons of Caucasian background?