Blog One: Social Determinants of Health

What Are Social Determinants of Health?

        Social determinants of health (abbreviated as SDH or SDoH) are non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, such as:

• Income
• Education and access to education
• Employment status
• Access to food
• Access to housing, living conditions, surrounding environment
• Economic status
• Access to health care
• Social inclusion
• Transportation

(World Health Organization, 2024)

What Are Health Disparities?

        Health disparities are preventable differences in health experiences. The impact of adverse health events, effects of injury, and opportunities to achieve optimal health are experienced differently by socially disadvantaged populations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). For example, someone living in a rural area may die as the result of injury that could easily be addressed in an urban area that has readily available health care access, this would be considered a health disparity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

What Are Health Inequities?

        Health inequities are the unfair or inequitable distribution of health resources between different population groups (World Health Organization, 2024).

The Significance of Social Determinants of Health for Health Care

        Social determinants of health include aspects such as access to transportation, food, healthcare, and housing. These factors impact a patient's ability to receive care and attend necessary follow-up care, as well as impact their overall health status. Without access to transportation patients cannot attend necessary healthcare appointments. Without housing patients struggle to maintain a job which impacts economic status, access to fresh foods is limited, and likely access to transportation impacted. Social determinants of health compound on each other, many being dependent on the other. Included in these factors is health care, social determinants of health impact the health care experience.

Are Social Determinants of Health the Responsibility of Health Professionals?

        As much as I believe it is the role of the nurse to advocate for the patient, educate, and to provide as many resources as possible, unfortunately they cannot be responsible for patient's social determinants of health. Nurses can:

• Help set up transportation after discharge
• Provide resources for the homeless to find housing, food, medications, and job resources
• They can help ensure patients have access to rehab services, home health services, physical and occupational therapy services
• Educate

        As much as every nurse wishes they could fix everything that their patients' struggle with, unfortunately nurses are only one person with very limited resources. The American health care system is broken, people are stuck in cycles that do not promote health. We need a system overhaul in order to see change in factors impacting social determinants of health.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 26). Health disparities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/disparities/index.htm

World Health Organization. (2024). Social Determinants of Health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1