| مستخلص: |
The article discusses the relationship between social classes and medical care. For many years, public health research has repeatedly confirmed a direct relationship between social class and receipt of medical care. That is, as income, education, and occupation rise, there is a corresponding rise in the amount of medical care received. The National Health Survey and other surveys have shown, after all, that the greater burden of disability and morbidity exists among the lower classes. One factor of obvious importance is purchasing power. The superior resources of the upper classes encourage utilization of all goods and services, while in the lower classes fear of big medical bills curtails use of physicians. One would expect, nevertheless, that the large burden of illness among the lower classes would force them to visit physicians at least as often as do other classes. The effect of illness, however, is diminished because the lower classes take a rather cavalier attitude toward it. This constitutes a differing interpretation of illness from that of the upper classes. |
