Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper

Respond to your colleagues’ posts and provide additional insight to your colleagues related to issues and topics they may want to also consider. Use the Learning Resources and/or the best available evidence from current literature to support your explanation.

Discussion Post to respond to:

Social Determinants of Health

The Social Determinants of health are external factors that contribute, for good or for evil, to the health of any community. As RNs, we are always running from one place to another, busy with our families. I never thought that some of the SDOH mentioned in this week’s resources could affect the health of a community. The World Health Organization defines social determinants of health as conditions or circumstances in which people are born, grow, work, and age (MM., 2019). I live in Cleveland, TN, and several social determinants of health can contribute to this community’s well-being. Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper

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Safe housing, transportation, and Neighborhoods

I am working as a school nurse for one of the schools that receives some homeless people in this community. They stay in local hotels; these kids and their parents cannot afford a secure house, and there is no collaboration between the government or community organizations to work together and address this situation. Laws and programs that increase the number of smaller, family-sized residential settings for people with disabilities can provide more opportunities for educational, physical, and social activities (Services, n.d.)

Transportation plays a crucial role when talking about accessing not only healthcare but also a safe workplace. Now, Uber is used in this community, but only some people can afford to pay for transportation, and the public transportation around here could be better and is never on time.

One of the most affected populations is the kids because they do not have a consistent place to live, or at the end of the day, they will need to pack all their belongings and move to a different location. Some places they can afford to live have mold and other health risks. Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper

Racism, discrimination, and violence

Racism and discrimination are a topic that not many people like to address and think that is non-exciting in 2023. I can say from experience that it is hard to find good and safe work when you are an immigrant. There has been an increase in cases in our community of kids with autism, the disabled population, and other health problems. The common denominator is that their parents never received healthcare during their pregnancy because of their immigrant status and because of the language barrier. They were too afraid to go and give some personal information to the health department, and they preferred to stay home and not look for health assistance. Healthy People 2030 includes this SDOH framework and acknowledges structural racism as a critical factor in health inequities (Yearby et al., 2023, para. 3)

Education, job opportunities, and income

Education has a close association with health. Schooling is associated with better health and better healthcare access. High schools have different programs to engage with the youth and help them choose a career path. Education is a significant influence because of employment. This can also impact healthcare access and the patient experience. Structural Racism, Employment Discrimination, and Economic Inequities in the Social Determinants of Health Framework to Understand Agricultural Worker Health Inequities (Paulson et al., 2023, para. 4) Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper

Access to nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities

Access to nutritious food is a challenge for every person lately. The groceries are going up daily, and if the people in the community do not have a good salary and stable job, this is one of the first things that can be affected. During the COVID crisis, the government made the school system go around the neighborhood and give free food to any kid under the age of 18 because they were aware that most of the school-age kids have one of the best meals they have are the ones that the school provides. The school has some programs where local churches donate cane food and goodies to give to some kids from our community.

In my community, there are several non-profit organizations, government services, and information for free education in the community college to help people achieve and overcome different obstacles. These are difficult questions to ask during a health assessment, but they are necessary to understand because they are helpful to the patient. As a health provider, it is essential to understand the importance of these questions and what information they can indicate; this will help us improve and provide high-quality care assistance. SDH screening involves asking people about their social needs and concerns, identifying risk and protective factors, and referring them to community or specialist services (Randall & De Gagne, 2023, para. 3).

References

MM., I. (2019). Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities: Confusion and Implications. Front Public Health, 7(11).

Paulson, R. E. (2023). Associations Between Social Determinants of Health, Chronic Absence From School, and Teacher Ratings of Parents’ Engagement in Early Education. Journal of School Nursing, 39(6), 431-443.

Randall, P. &. (2023). Using Photo-voice to Teach Social Determinants of Health to Undergraduate Nursing Students. Nursing Educator, 48(3), E96-E97.

Services, U. D. (n.d.). Health People 2030: Social determinants of health. Retrieved from Health People 2030: https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/people-disabilities/reduce-proportion-people-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-who-live-institutional-settings-7-or-more-people-dh-03 Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper

Yearby, R. L. (2023). Structural Racism, Employment Discrimination, and Economic Inequities in the Social Determinants of Health Framework to Understand Agricultural Worker Health Inequities. American Journal of public Health, S65-S71.

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Discussion Response

Thank you for sharing such valuable insights into the social determinants of health (SDOH) in your community. It is evident that you have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by different populations in relation to housing, transportation, racism, education, and access to nutritious food.

I appreciate your focus on the impact on school-going children in regards to safe housing, transportation, and neighborhoods. Their well-being and academic success can suffer following a lack of a secure living environment. Collaboration between government and community organizations is imperative in tackling these issues. Your suggestion of smaller, family-sized dwelling settings is a wise one. Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper

One important aspect you pointed out was the connection between racism, discrimination, and health consequences. Hearing about the challenges that immigrant families have getting access to healthcare because of language and fear is disheartening. As noted in Healthy People 2030, the identification of structural racism as a major contributor to health disparities highlights the necessity of systemic transformation to guarantee equitable access to healthcare for everyone (Hassmiller et al., 2023).

Furthermore, the delicate relationship between education and health is shown by your discussion of income, employment prospects, and education. The involvement initiatives and career guidance programs offered by high schools play an essential part in determining the general health outcomes of their students. Lastly, it is important that you brought out the difficulties in getting wholesome food during the COVID crisis. The government’s and the local churches’ efforts to give free food serve as a reminder of how important community support is in times of hardship.

The significance of health assessments is underscored by your focus on the necessity to understand social needs and concerns. Including SDH screening in medical procedures is a proactive way to find risk factors and direct patients to the community resources they require (Houlihan & Leffler, 2019). To solve mobility issues, I suggest looking into possible partnerships with neighborhood organizations and pushing for better public transportation options. Furthermore, exchanging case studies or success stories from other communities that have successfully dealt with comparable problems could serve as a source of inspiration and direction for cooperative efforts within your community.

Thank you for your thoughtful post, and I appreciate your dedication to addressing social determinants of health in your role as a school nurse. Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities Assignment Paper