After reading the vignettes about Mrs. X and Y, where you live impacts your life in many ways.
One way where you live can impact your life is what food you eat that can affect your health and
cause health problems or diseases. Another way where you live can impact your life is by the
environment that you live in because it may have different diseases or illnesses or health
problems in that area that can affect your health. You can become sick if you eat or drink unclean
food or water from the environment that you live in. You can also become sick based on the
insects in your environment, just like Y who is five years old located in sub-Saharan Africa.
The main social and behavioral determinants of Mrs. X is that she is an overweight white female
in her late 50's living in Georgia. Mrs. X came from a low-income family also. With this
information only it sounds like Mrs. X did not grow up eating well and eating high sugar and
carbohydrates (i.e.: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cookies, beans, and corn) which are cheaper
foods, however they could cause type 2 diabetes. Mrs. X was recently diagnosed with diabetes.
and now she will have to change her diet and lifestyle due to her diabetes.
The main social and behavioral determinants of Y is a young child who is only five years old
living in sub-Saharan Africa who has recently contracted malaria. Malaria is immensely popular
in this area of sub-Saharan Africa especially when this year has been particularly wet, hot, and
humid. Unfortunately, Y's family cannot afford the treatment for malaria even though malaria is
preventable and treatable. Sub-Saharan Africa is a high-risk country for malaria and its
percentage of poverty is 85% in 2019 (Sub-Saharan Africa poverty rate 1990-2022).
If I could change one aspect of the biographies of Mrs. X or Y it would be Y's biography. The
aspect that I would change in Y's biography is that the family would be able to afford treatment
for Y's malaria. I think that if Y's family could afford treatment, then Y would be able to live
longer and have a better childhood. I believe that Y would be able to grow up to be a responsible
adult and be able to care for a family of its own. I also think that Y would become an advocate
for malaria and the treatments for the illness. Also, Y could find a way that the treatments would
be more affordable for all patients no matter their income status, age, race, or gender.
~Jessica
Reference
Sub-Saharan Africa poverty rate 1990-2022. MacroTrends. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22
2022, from https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/SSF/sub-saharan-africa-/poverty-rate