Chapter 13

Question 1

Medicalization of Behavior

Answer 1

turning normal behaviors into medical problems (e.g., ADHD, addiction)

Question 2

Flawed Assumptions About Health

Answer 2

1) Genetics explain illness and disease to the exclusion of social factors

2) The Sick Experience downward social mobility
- people are often sick
because, they are poor,
not poor because they’re
sick
3) People adopt lifestyle choices that make sick
- social conditions often influence people’s choices and the options available to them

Question 3

Social Class and Morality Rates

Answer 3

Age at death and cause of death are also linked to social class
- The poor have significantly higher disease and mortality rates than rich

The poor have:
- greater exposure to stress and hardships
- the poor more valuable to the west effects of urbanism

Question 4

Hispanic Health Paradox

Answer 4

• Hispanic/Latino populations in the U.S. tend to have better health outcomes - especially lower mortality rates - than expected
• Hispanic women are less likely to initiate smoking and more likely to quit than non-hispanics

Question 5

Sick Role

Answer 5

A term associated with the structural functionalist Talcott Parsons

When you’re sick, you’re not just dealing with symptoms - you’re also expected to take on a social role, and that role comes with rights and responsibilities

You’re allowed to:
- be exempt from normal duties (like work or school)
- avoid blame for being sick (you’re not held responsible )

But you’re expected to:
- want to get better as soon as possible
- seek medical help and follow professional advice

Question 6

Eating Disorders

Answer 6

• According to the National Eating Disorders Association, as of 2024, an estimated 30 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. This translates to roughly 9% of the US population

Question 7

Age Groups

Answer 7

Data from the National Institute of Mental Health suggests eating disorders are more prevalent among adolescents

• A study based on diagnostic interviews showed a lifetime prevalence of 2.7% among U.S. adolescents aged 13 to 18, with females being more than twice as likely to be affected (3.8% compared to 1.5% for males)
• A 2019 Study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests a global increase in eating disorders prevalence, rising from 3.4% to 7.8% between 2000 and 2018