3.1 Social Determinants of Health
Katie Baker
Social determinants of health are factors that affect health and are beyond an individual’s control. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched Healthy People 2030 to address these societal-level determinants through public health initiatives such as access to education, clean water, healthcare, and healthy foods.
Healthy People 2030
Healthy People 2030 divides social determinants of health into five categories:
- Economic stability
- Education access and quality
- Healthcare access and quality
- Neighborhood and built environment
- Social and community context
We will explore some of the Healthy People 2030 goals in each of these categories.
Economic Stability
The goal of this category is to help people earn stable incomes that enable them to meet their healthcare needs. Objectives for improving economic stability include reducing:
- The proportion of individuals living in poverty
- The proportion of families and children experiencing food insecurity
- The proportion of households spending 30% of their income on housing
- The number of workplace injuries
- The number of adults whose arthritis interferes with their work
In terms of employment, objectives focus on increasing employment rates and the number of children who live with at least one parent working full-time while decreasing the number of teens and young adults who are not in school or working (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry [ATSDR], 2023).
Education Access and Quality
The goal of this category is to expand educational opportunities and help children and adolescents succeed in school. Objectives include:
- Improving high school graduation and college matriculation rates
- Increasing the proportion of fourth and eighth graders with appropriate math and reading proficiency
- Increasing the proportion of young children who participate in early childhood education programs and are developmentally ready for school
- Expanding intervention services for those in need
- Increasing preventive mental health care in schools
- Increasing the proportion of people with disabilities in regular education programs.
These objectives are intended to minimize equity gaps that interfere with many students’ access to higher education, well-paying jobs, and services as they get older (ATSDR, 2023).
Healthcare Access and Quality
The goal of this category is to increase access to comprehensive high-quality healthcare services. Objectives include:
- Reducing emergency room wait times
- Increasing the number of adults, adolescents, and children that use evidence-based preventive care
- Increasing screening rates for lung, breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer, as well as discussions about cancer prevention with healthcare providers (ATSDR, 2023)
Neighborhood and Built Environment
The goal of this category is to create neighborhoods and environments that promote health and safety. Objectives include:
- Reducing adolescent