Environmental health Epidemiology - Assignment Example

Affiliation: Introduction Chronic diseases are conditions that individuals live with for long, and as much as they are progressive in nature. They can be controlled if there is behavior change and care is taken. Attention on chronic diseases is required as they are significant contributors to large medical costs incurred by citizens. Chronic diseases need regular medical care and effective self-management alongside adequate treatment. Gender and race are moderate demographic variables and limitations to chronic illnesses.

Differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases have shown that gender is a serious functional limitation. Certain chronic illnesses tend to be common only among elderly women and rarely affects the young ladies (Brown, 2007).Addiction, substance abuse and treatment are dependent psychosocial variables. Alcohol and drug are big contributors to the development of chronic illnesses such as liver cirrhosis. Continuous use of alcohol results in increased cases of chronic illnesses and development of complexity during care provision for the sick.

Alcohol is a dependent variable of chronic illnesses as in certain instances; alcohol disorders are associated with complex services for chronic illnesses and inconsistent attendance to treatment. Chronic illness can act as a functional limitation to an addict’s ability to access health care services for the treatment of addiction. On other cases there is increased interaction with the health care facilities and access of treatment. (Gordis, 2004)Social control is an independent variable of chronic illnesses.

The degree of social control between married and unmarried men varies. The married are the most affected. Social control causes health behavioral change of the recipient. It tends to lead to an improved health behavior though one is at risk of suffering from psychological distress ( Hurtig, 1986).ReferencesBrown, R. T. (2007). Chronic illness in black women. Cambridge. MA: Hogrefe & Huber.Hurtig, A. L. (1986). Chronicl disease: psychological and psychosocial issues. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.Gordis, L. (2004).

Epidemiology. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders