Social Determinants of Health - Healthy People 2020

Most people understand that your daily diet can influence your health. A balanced diet is essential to keep the body free from diseases. However, there are also social determinants that can affect health. Healthy People 2020 highlights the five determinant areas of the framework, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), that can affect health (Healthy People 2020). These determinants include economic stability, education, social and community context, health and health care, and neighborhood and built environment. Each of these determinants contain underlying factors that affect health (Healthy People 2020). For instance, the underlying factors of social and community context include civic participation, discrimination, incarceration, and social cohesion (Healthy People 2020). The goal of the Social Determinants of Health framework is to,” Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all (Healthy People 2020).” This framework is important because it categorizes the social determinants of health and allows us to evaluate the factors that may have a negative effect on an individual or community. This framework can be useful to the field of occupational therapy because it considers many factors involving physical, mental, and social health, indicating that it provides a holistic overview of health. Using this framework to identify barriers of the community can highlight what policies and actions should be introduced to remove those barriers. For more information on SDOH, visit https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health. This website provides objectives, interventions, and resources associated with the SDOH framework.

Retrieved from: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health

Healthy People 2020. Social determinants of health. Healthy People. Retrieved April 11, 2020 from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health