How Does Poverty Affect Women's Health? What Are the Roles of Nurses?

Due to poverty, inability to earn a living, malnutrition, hunger, inability to access health services and as a result of these, loss of health, illness or death occurs.

The segment where poverty is seen the most is women. Poverty is more intense in this segment as a result of the inadequate level of women's employment, lack of education and social discrimination. Poverty of women emerges as a serious problem that needs to be solved all over the world.

Income level affects performing and maintaining healthy life behaviors and accessing treatment opportunities in case of illness. Health services are expensive and inaccessible for individuals with low income. Poor women cannot afford medication for economic reasons.

When the health perceptions of poor women are examined, it is stated that the perception of health is low and it continues to decrease as the age gets older.

Chronic disease rates are higher in women and poor women do not have the opportunity to receive regular treatment. In addition, it has been stated that the hereditary disease levels in the family may increase due to poverty.

Women with economic insufficiency do not receive pre-natal and postnatal care. At the same time, poor women do not regularly use family planning methods. Poor women cannot pay due attention to cancer screening.

Women with economic inadequacy try to put aside their own nutrition and ensure that their children are nourished. Poor women living in unhealthy environmental conditions are also at risk of infectious diseases.

Psychological problems are more common in poor women. Poor women are more exposed to psychological, economic and sexual violence. As a result, the rate of suicide also increases. Ineffective coping is observed in poor women due to social exclusion. They state that they do not have social support.

The duty of nurses is to protect and improve the economic and social health of the society, and to contribute to the solution of problems, based on universal human rights. In this regard, nurses have tasks such as identifying problems caused by nutritional deficiencies, family planning counseling, identifying risky pregnancies that do not receive prenatal care, and determining reproductive health problems caused by inadequate hygiene practices.

The nurse should be able to define these problems and guide poor women in accessing health services.

Healthy women will be the productive workers, mothers and caregivers of the future.