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Social Determinants of Health

Overview

Opportunities to live healthy and fulfilling lives doesn’t come easy for many people, including millions of youths. The hurdles they face, called “social drivers (or determinants) of health”, can hinder an individual’s development and create health disparities that can significantly impact a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, as well as their long-term personal development and prosperity.

By understanding these factors, young people can become more aware of the impact that social and economic conditions have on their health and wellbeing. This knowledge can also help them make more informed decisions about their lifestyles and be more engaged members of their communities, so that they can become catalysts for change in their own communities.

Requirements

1. Define the following terms, as they relate to health:

  • a. Advocacy
  • b. Access
  • c. Vulnerable populations
  • d. Poverty

2. Briefly explain five key areas within the social determinants of health (SDoH):

  • a. Economic stability
  • b. Neighborhood and built environment
  • c. Social and community context
  • d. Healthcare access and quality
  • e. Education access and quality

3. Watch a video or explore a website that explains briefly about “Social Determinants of Health.”

4. Find the demographics related to SDoH in your area. Compare your findings with those of nearby areas.

5. Share at least one “social determinant of health” that you have observed in your community or in society in general. Create a visual showing how this SDoH is affecting people.

6. Find a video or educational article of interest to you, regarding negative health outcomes caused by the quality of SDoH. After viewing/reading, discuss the connections between at least two “social determinants of health” and how they can trigger negative health outcomes in a population.

7. Read the following Bible texts, then choose two that you believe best match what you will do to help the vulnerable and how this honors God.

  • a. Deuteronomy 15:7, 10
  • b. Proverbs 19:17
  • c. Proverbs 22:9
  • d. Proverbs 31:8-9
  • e. Isaiah 58:10
  • f. Matthew 5:1-12
  • g. Matthew 25:40
  • h. John 5:3-10
  • i. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
  • j. 1 Timothy 6:18

8. Discover what the Adventist Church has officially stated on the topics of “Global Poverty” and “Commitment to Health and Healing.” Evaluate ways you think the church as a whole (or your local church) has succeeded in these goals. Brainstorm a list of specific things you think your club, group or church could do to assist the global church in these goals.

9. Do one of the following:

  • a. Create an educational presentation about the Social Determinants of Health for a younger group. Give the presentation.
  • b. Focus on one area of the SDoH and find an organization you could assist who is working to improve a community’s access to resources. Report to your church board, pastor, or other adult group what you did to assist.
  • c. Have a community leader who functions in a capacity related to Social Determinants of Health to come and speak to your group. Prepare 8-10 interview questions and provide them to this leader prior to the event. Summarize what they shared.
  • d. Invite a community advocate professional to come speak to your group about what advocacy means and how being an advocate can help improve social determinants of health for a community. Summarize what they shared.
  • e. Research what online organizations are doing to advocate for disadvantaged populations that are not experiencing full access to SDoH. Write a letter or create a pros and cons chart outlining your potential willingness (or lack of willingness) to support their cause.

Answer key & resources

Adapted from AY Honors/Social Determinants of Health on the Pathfinder Wiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See the original page's history for its authors.
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