Social determinants of Health

Many individuals struggle to reach their full health potential. In the United States, many local, regional, state,
and national policy initiatives are designed to help mitigate those disparities and eliminate unequal health
outcomes. It is important to stay aware of these initiatives so you can put them to use to create better health
outcomes for the populations that you engage. The “social determinants of health” approach complements a
focus on individual biology of disease with attention to social and economic factors, social support networks,
physical and social environments, access to health services, and social and health policies. Engaged nurses
have the power to identify social determinants and address them by implementing effective policies to help
patients reach their highest attainable standard of health. Keeping this in mind, prepare a 1- to 2-page paper
that addresses health disparities in a vulnerable population. Use the following as a guide for your paper:
Identify a health gap for a vulnerable population (young, old, homeless, LGBTQ, a specific ethnic/cultural
group, etc.) in your local community by consulting local, regional, state, or national data.
The following website can be helpful in locating and selecting data if you choose a community in the U.S.:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (n.d). Sources for data on social determinant of health.
https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/data/index.htm
List the characteristics of your selected population using multiple sources of data as support. For example, a
community’s health is determined by several influences other than the quality of healthcare. Health disparities
are differences in health or health-related outcomes associated with socioeconomic or environmental
disadvantage. These disadvantages may be due to economics, education, healthcare access, or health
outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities, age (both old and young), mental disabilities, or substance use
disorders.
Identify two social determinants that impact your identified community and explain how those determinants
contribute to the health gap.
Identify and describe a policy strategy that has focused on the health gap for your selected vulnerable
population in your community