ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: WAYS WE CAN FULFILL OUR ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO PURSUE HEALTH EQUITY

Abstract

Where you are born, the school you attend, your highest level of education, your race, age, and sex, these are all things that can directly, or indirectly impact your health. The social determinants of health is a phrase that can better be used to sum them all up. It refers to the social situation you exist in, and how that affects your ability to purchase healthy foods or obtain the medical care you need, and so much more. When it comes to certain measurements of health, people who fall within certain groups or populations, for example, minorities, or people of lower socio-economic statuses (SES), tend to have worse results than their white, or higher SES counterparts. These differences in health outcomes are referred to as disparities. As social scientists, healthcare professionals, and anyone with the means to address these disparities, we are ethically obligated to do so. There are already several initiatives aimed at addressing the social determinants of health. Through these initiatives, those in need are provided with things such as food vouchers, ride vouchers, and health education. What is missing, are organized studies with specific goals and appropriate sample sizes to address the efficacy of these initiatives. Once we have more such studies to provide us with data that supports the efficacy of these interventions, we can then advocate for policies that will make these resources widely available and encourage health equity.