Declines in health can be linked to a culmination of factors pointed out both in published studies and professional’s papers as well as personal reflections in cookbooks and documentaries. Even though people wanted to hold onto traditions, especially at the time of the Black Power movement in the 1960s, there was no denying a decline in people’s health as a result of their lifestyle choices, including their eating habits.
A culmination of studies, reflected on by Dr. George Kaplan and colleagues, linked increased risk of cardiovascular disease with lower socioeconomic status. As shown by US Census data and data collected in the various studies, a significant portion of the black population in the South was living in poverty, even after a “general rise in employment and real wages” (“Black Americans, 1963-1973”). Linked with lower income came poor lifestyle factors and choices. Data in the studies support claims that combining low access to produce, increasing access to fast food and processed foods, and practicing transcended techniques for cooking fatty soul foods led to poor health in communities. In Kaplan’s reflection, he pointed out that “in 1968 Hinkle found that risk of heart disease was influenced more by education and background than by occupation," (Kaplan). PBS’s documentary, Soul Food Junkies, touched on all of these points, presenting both professionals’ and public opinions.
Factors proven to affect health that were directly linked to socioeconomic status included levels of education, income, and psychosocial factors. Negative outcomes appeared in overall lifestyle, high levels of hypertension, and greater risk of cardiovascular disease with presence of diabetes, elevated serum cholesterol levels and obesity (Kaplan).
A culmination of studies, reflected on by Dr. George Kaplan and colleagues, linked increased risk of cardiovascular disease with lower socioeconomic status. As shown by US Census data and data collected in the various studies, a significant portion of the black population in the South was living in poverty, even after a “general rise in employment and real wages” (“Black Americans, 1963-1973”). Linked with lower income came poor lifestyle factors and choices. Data in the studies support claims that combining low access to produce, increasing access to fast food and processed foods, and practicing transcended techniques for cooking fatty soul foods led to poor health in communities. In Kaplan’s reflection, he pointed out that “in 1968 Hinkle found that risk of heart disease was influenced more by education and background than by occupation," (Kaplan). PBS’s documentary, Soul Food Junkies, touched on all of these points, presenting both professionals’ and public opinions.
Factors proven to affect health that were directly linked to socioeconomic status included levels of education, income, and psychosocial factors. Negative outcomes appeared in overall lifestyle, high levels of hypertension, and greater risk of cardiovascular disease with presence of diabetes, elevated serum cholesterol levels and obesity (Kaplan).
There were greater differences in income for African Americans: incomes less than $5,000 had standardized mortality ratio twice than those with greater than $50,000; for African American women the ratio was 1.8 (equal to the ratio for white males, while white females had a ratio of 1.3) (Kaplan). After the gap in income narrowed in the 1960s and 1970s, other issues were recognized, shown in the "Location and Added Stresses" section below.
Education
For both white and African American men with at least 4 years of high school education, there are lower death rates
For African American men and women, there was 73% to 78% higher ratios for mortality with 0 to 4 years of education (1979-1985) versus 66 to 44% higher for whites.
For zero to seven years education, annual death rates increased from two per 1000 (1960-1970) to 28.1 per 1000 (1971-1984) (Kaplan).
Statistics were still higher for blacks with almost a 100% increase, therefore complications and higher death rates cannot be fully explained by education. Education can, however, be linked with lifestyle choices.
Lifestyle contributions to declining health |
A study conducted from 1978 to 1981 in the United States showed that men with higher education had food habits assumed to be less harmful, entailing soft margarine use, low-fat milk, and eating fruits and vegetables every day (Kaplan). Within that study, less educated women exhibited higher systolic blood pressure, higher LDL, cholesterol, triglycerides and 2-hour fasting glucose levels, and higher body mass index.
1949 marked the creation of National Heart Institute. The National Institutes of Health determined in a Framingham study that major risk factors for cardiovascular disease include hypertension, elevated serum cholesterol level, and diabetes, to account for about 50% of overt cases; other possibilities included obesity and coping styles (Kaplan). |
Increasing cost of necessities
Low availability and rising cost of food are two battles poor populations in the South are far too familiar with. From 1946 to 47, there was a downturn in availability of nutrients indicated as follows: protein intake dropped from 104 to 97 g, vitamin A from 9500 to 8600 i u, and iron from 18.6 to 17.3 mg (US Census Bureau, 1951).
Consumer price index for food increased from 88 to 94.4 in 1965, to 114.9 in 1970, and from 118.4 to 123.5 in 1972.
The average percent change in cost of food per year jumped from 1.4% change in 1960 to 4% in 1965, dropping slightly from 1970 to 1972 to 3.7% change (US Census Bureau, 1973).
More specific context (per pound): The cost of milk (1/2 gallon grocery) went from 47.3 to 59.8 cents from 1965 to 1972, but then dropped 3.9 cents, a 2.1% change in 1972. White bread went from 20.3 to 20.9 cents from 1960 to 1965, then from 24.3 to 25 from 1965 to 1972 and dropping only slightly in 1972 to 24.7 cents; the percent changes are 0.6%, 3.1%, and 0.8% (US Census Bureau, 1973).
All of this data supports the claims, even in such a small window of time that happens to be when the income gap between whites and blacks was narrowing. Rising costs did not affect every demographic but it hit some areas hard.
Consumer price index for food increased from 88 to 94.4 in 1965, to 114.9 in 1970, and from 118.4 to 123.5 in 1972.
The average percent change in cost of food per year jumped from 1.4% change in 1960 to 4% in 1965, dropping slightly from 1970 to 1972 to 3.7% change (US Census Bureau, 1973).
More specific context (per pound): The cost of milk (1/2 gallon grocery) went from 47.3 to 59.8 cents from 1965 to 1972, but then dropped 3.9 cents, a 2.1% change in 1972. White bread went from 20.3 to 20.9 cents from 1960 to 1965, then from 24.3 to 25 from 1965 to 1972 and dropping only slightly in 1972 to 24.7 cents; the percent changes are 0.6%, 3.1%, and 0.8% (US Census Bureau, 1973).
All of this data supports the claims, even in such a small window of time that happens to be when the income gap between whites and blacks was narrowing. Rising costs did not affect every demographic but it hit some areas hard.
Location and Added Stresses
In a documentary called Unnatural Causes, various experts commented on trends that were arising at the end of the twentieth century and continuing into the 2000s. Nicholas Christakis, a medical sociologist at Harvard University explained that “ways in which [the United States’] society is organized…are bad for [the population’s] health.” Such setups and influences led to a gradient in which wealth and health were directly related. Direct effects of levels of wealth included the communities in which people lived and types of food that were available to consume based on budget and location proximity. James Krieger, an epidemiologist for the Seattle Department of Public Health emphasized the importance of location. “Place determines what someone’s exposed to…factors that can affect their health…physical or chemical agents…social environment…it matters...if its easy to find health foods. Place…is a critical determinant of health.” After the 1960s and 1970s when the gap narrowed between the black and white socioeconomic line, progress backtracked in the 1980’s. "African Americans were left behind in increasingly neglected neighborhoods” where funding was dwindling due to a greater focus on free market and lowered taxes for the wealthy (Unnatural Causes). This meant decreased education quality, opportunities, and less access to quality grocery items at reasonable prices.