Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic Status is a term used to indicate one’s access to collectively desired resources. These resources include material goods, money, power, friendship networks, healthcare, leisure time, or educational opportunities. The access to these resources may be used to reflect the ability of individuals and/or groups to prosper in the social world.(Oakes, n.d) While it is a way to measure an individual’s standing, it is often used to depict economic differences in society as a whole, with certain areas and groups of people being considered low, middle or upper class.

Socioeconomic status has been recognized as a contributing factor to one’s overall health. Historically explanations surrounding low socioeconomic status and poor health outcomes centered on the individual and not the varying systems and challenges people navigate. Declining physical health or injury may jeopardize financial security and access to resources like housing and healthcare.

The impact on individuals with low socioeconomic status is heightened by these additional health factors as they tend to hold more physically demanding jobs with fewer benefits. Having low income poses a unique challenge for families with children. Key healthcare barriers for low income families can be low health literacy, uncertainty regarding available resources, complications with or a lack of health insurance, and distrust of the healthcare system. Acknowledging these issues that complicate healthcare for families with a low Socioeconomic Status is the first step toward determining equitable solutions.