Deck 10: The Impact of Inequality on Personal Life Chances

Question 1

Research on self-assessment of indicates that:

A) self-assessment of health is a poor predictor of a person's actual health
B) men more so than women classify their health as below average
C) Whites are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to rate their own health as fair or poor
D) low-income individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, are more likely than their higher-income
Counterparts to rate their own health as only fair or poor

Answer 1

low-income individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, are more likely than their higher-income
Counterparts to rate their own health as only fair or poor

Question 2

In terms of life expectancy among Americans:

A) it was higher than that of most other industrial countries in 2005
B) men have a higher life expectancy than women
C) there was a decrease in life expectancy between 1983 and 1999 in certain places in America that the former tend to be poorer and to have a higher proportion of Blacks
D) there was an increase in life expectancy among those with less than a high school education between 1983 and 1999

Answer 2

there was a decrease in life expectancy between 1983 and 1999 in certain places in America that the former tend to be poorer and to have a higher proportion of Blacks

Question 3

In terms of mortality rates in 2005:

A) suicide, rates were highest for Blacks
B) homicide rates were highest among Hispanics
C) the death rates for heart disease, cancer, stroke, and infant mortality rates were lowest among Hispanics
D) death rates, exluding from suicide, were highest among Whites

Answer 3

the death rates for heart disease, cancer, stroke, and infant mortality rates were lowest among Hispanics

Question 4

The ,mortality rates of lower-status individuals in the United States are related to all except:

A) morbidity rates
B) spousal support
C) exposure to victimization
D) rates of preventative care

Question 5

Which of the following is a true statement?

A) Rates for cigarette smoking are highest among White men.
B) Five-year survival rates for cancer in general are higher for Whites than
Blacks.
C) The rate of AIDS among White men was eight times that of Black men in 2003.
D) Obesity rates are generally higher among poor men.

Question 6

Continuous economic hardship throughout one's life cycle appears to increase the chances for all except:

A) being functionally disabled,
B) having a chronic condition
C) experiencing recurrent physical symptoms
D) having problems with infertility

Question 7

The degree of social inequality within a community is linked to the health status of its residents in that:

A) cities with low occupational inequality have lower suicide rates
B) societies with less inequality have, on average, more health problems
C) communities with high unemployment rates actually have lower rates of illness
D) communities with lower average incomes report higher rates of chronic health problems

Question 8

Recent research suggests that Blacks have ____________________ than Whites.

A) lower rates of chronic illness
B) higher rates of nonfatal diseases
C) lower rates of asthma and ulcers
D) lower rates of stroke and diabetes

Question 9

When it comes to basic sex differences in health, women:

A) have higher rates of AIDS than men
B) have higher rates of disability than men
C) have higher rates of fatal chronic conditions than men
D) that are older report less difficulty in conducting daily activities than do men

Question 10

In general, women are:

A) more likely to stay away from doctors
B) more sensitive to symptoms of ill health
C) less likely to seek preventive care than men
D) less likely to engage in healthy lifestyles than men

Question 11

Employment affects health in that:

A) increases in one's earnings create more health problems
B) among married couples, increases in wives' earnings increase the chances of husbands dying
C) among married couples, increases in husbands' earnings increase the chances of wives dying
D) women who are employed develop more health problems than those who are not in the labor force

Question 12

When a wife works more than 40 hours per week, it has a:

A) negative impact on the wife's health
B) negative impact on the husband's health
C) positive impact on the health of both spouses
D) negative impact on the health of both spouses

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) Preventive care is less likely among those with high incomes.
B) About one-third of the poor do not have any health insurance.
C) Low-income individuals pay a greater proportion of their incomes for health care.
D) Higher-income individuals are more likely than lower-income people to have a regular source of health care.

Question 14

In the 19th and early 20th centuries:

A) midwives made most deliveries of babies
B) women were thought to have a stronger sex drive than men
C) the womb was considered the healthiest part of the female anatomy
D) the female body was considered abnormal compared to the male body

Question 15

Which of the following categories is NOT overrepresented among those who suffer from mental and emotional problems:

A) females
B) married people
C) the poor
D) none of the above

Question 16

In terms of the relationship between lower socioeconomic status and poor mental health, the "drift" argument posits that:

A) becoming mentally ill causes one to fall in social class or status
B) the characteristics of a class position create conditions that foster mental health or illness
C) health status is subjective and depends on the interpretation of the individual
D) none of the above

Question 17

In terms of mental illness:

A) poverty decreases the rate of hospitalization for mental illness
B) unemployment increases the rate of hospitalization for mental illness
C) Blacks are more likely than Whites to be admitted to state and county mental hospitals
D) people with no roles have better mental health than those with multiple roles-for example, employee, and spouse

Question 18

Blacks are less likely than Whites to accept __________ as explanations of mental illness.

A) life stresses
B) discrimination
C) genetic factors or poor family upbringing
D) chemical imbalances

Question 19

Studies of the diagnosis process in mental illness suggest that:

A) Black psychiatrists tend to give the most serious diagnoses to White patients
B) diagnoses tend to be more "objective" when the sex or race of the patient is known
C) male psychiatrists are reluctant to diagnose female patients as having depression disorders
D) Black males are more likely to be considered violent, suspicious, or dangerous, by both Black and White psychiatrists, even when their clinical characteristics are the same as those of Whites.

Question 20

When it comes to general feelings of well-being:

A) strong racial identity appears to reduce the distress among young Black adults
B) self-mastery and feelings of control decrease feelings of well-being
C) the well-being of the poor is positively impacted by their inability to leave their neighborhoods
D) individualism increases well-being among the poor

Question 21

According to the Physician Task Force, an inadequate diet while pregnant can result in:

A) lower infant mortality rate
B) a higher birth rate
C) the fetus having deficient brain growth
D) resistance to infection

Question 22

A 2006 survey of 23 major U.S. cities revealed that:

A) women composed the majority of the homeless
B) Blacks made up a larger percentage of the homeless than did Whites
C) the majority of homeless people were employed
D) almost all homeless either suffered from mental illness or substance abuse

Question 23

Homelessness has been fostered by:

A) migration out of metropolitan areas
B) softer governmental rules about disabilities
C) the lack of affordable housing
D) the increased value of public assistance benefits

Question 24

Proportionately, Blacks lose about twice as many years of life before age 65 as Whites because of chronic conditions.

Question 25

We know less about the factors related to men's health because most medical research has focused on women.

Question 26

A national study found that, regardless of income or education, Blacks are no less likely to seek care than Whites, and may be even more inclined to do so.

Question 27

Stereotypes and general beliefs about racial and ethnic minorities and the poor held by physicians can affect diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Question 28

Historically, as concerns about the political involvement of women increased, there was a greater tendency to develop an image of madness that was distinctly feminine.

Question 29

Lower-class women were once thought to be more fragile and vulnerable than upper-class women.

Question 30

Male doctors often see illness and complaints among women as having a psychological rather than physiological origin.

Question 31

The social causation hypothesis suggests that becoming mentally ill causes one to fall in social class.

Question 32

Moving into a middle-class occupation alleviates distress among Blacks.

Question 33

Feelings of self-mastery and control over one's life appear to be an important set of mediating influences on mental health.

Question 34

The lack of control experienced by the lower classes has been linked to their occupational experiences.

Question 35

Indications are that homelessness has decreased over the last two decades.

Question 36

Violent crimes against the homeless have increased in the last decade.

Question 37

The United States spends a much higher percentage of its gross domestic product on health care compared to other industrial nation.s

Question 38

In a comparison of 37 major countries in 2003, the United States ranked 5th in life expectancy for men and
women.

Question 39

Although lower-income countries tend to have lower physical health, they tend to have better psychological health such as less depression.

Question 40

Knowing the sex or race of a patient impacts mental-illness diagnoses by psychiatrists.

Question 41

Individuals who live in poor neighborhoods where most people have not moved are less likely than residents of non-poor neighborhoods to experience depression and anxiety.

Question 42

Associate each name or concept on the left with the idea or definition on the right:

Question 43

Discuss the impact of race, gender, and socioeconomic status on physical and psychological health?

Question 44

Discuss the relationship between labeling, diagnosis of mental illness, and inequality.