Real Talk: Community Health Care in Action
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Real Talk: Community Health Care in Action
Social Determinants of Health
In this episode of Real Talk, Dr. Rachel Risner sits with Quincy to discuss Social Determinants of Health. Social Determinants of Health are the personal, social, and environmental factors that shape your health and well-being. These include things like how much money you make, where you live, and what resources your neighborhood offers. They are all the nonmedical aspects of your life. Yet research shows Social Determinants of Health aren’t just related to your health — they can actually determine your health. Listen for ways you can address social determinants of health and improve overall health outcomes in your community.
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Welcome back to Real Talk Community Health Care in Action. Today, we are going to discuss social determinants of health. You may be wondering what that even means. Social determinants of health are the personal, social, and environmental factors that shape your health and well-being. These include things like how much money you make, where you live, and what resources your neighborhood offers. They are all non-medical aspects of your life. Yet, research shows social determinants of health aren't just related to your health. They can actually determine your health, meaning they influence your risk for certain medical conditions, the medical care you're able to receive, and how you feel from day to day. Joining me to discuss this more is Dr. Rachel Reisner, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Frontier Nursing University. Dr. Reisner graduated from Frontier in 2010 as a family nurse practitioner. She went into family practice for the next 18 months before being recruited by Oklahoma City University to help write the curriculum for their BSN to DNP program. She went on to earn both her DNP and a PhD in nursing education from Oklahoma City University. Dr. Reisner began teaching at Frontier in 2014, holding various positions, including course faculty and course coordinator, before being named the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in 2018. In 2022, Dr. Reisner was selected to participate in the National League for Nursing and Walden University College of Nursing Institute for Social Determinants of Health and Social Change. Dr. Reisner, welcome.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much. I'm glad to be here today.
SPEAKER_01:So starting out, Can you just tell us what are the social determinants of health and why do they matter?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, absolutely. So social determinants of health, they're the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. And all of those things can impact a person's health. These factors can include things like having access to health care, education, employment, education, housing and social support. Social determinants of health matter because they play a really significant role in shaping an individual's overall health and wellbeing. These factors can really influence a person's risk of developing certain health conditions. being able to access healthcare services, and your overall quality of life. For example, individuals who have limited access to healthcare or live in areas that may have poor air quality might be at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases such as asthma or heart disease. Additionally, individuals who experience social isolation or lack of stable housing can be more susceptible to experience mental health issues such as depression.
SPEAKER_01:And so how can social determinants of health impact and determine our overall health?
SPEAKER_00:So social determinants of health can have a significant impact on a person's physical and mental well-being. So if an individual who lacks access to quality health care or maybe a person lives in an unsafe neighborhood, that person may be at higher risk for developing chronic diseases or experiencing poor health outcomes. Other factors such as income level, education, employment status, and social support systems Thank you. A lack of education can also limit individuals' understanding of how to make healthy choices and access appropriate healthcare resources. So social determinants of health can impact mental wellbeing as well. For example, if an individual is facing discrimination, social isolation, or economic instability, they may experience a higher stress level or anxiety or other mental health conditions such as depression. So these factors really contribute to an unhealthy coping mechanism and can lead to substance abuse or unhealthy eating habits, which also affect a person's overall health.
SPEAKER_01:Can you give us some examples of like direct examples of the social determinants of health and like how that might impact a certain area of your health?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. So there are a lot of examples of social determinants of health. They include things like income level, education level, access to education, access to healthy food options, having access to social support networks, and being exposed to environmental toxins. Some other examples of social determinants of health include access to those healthcare services, but Do you have housing, like a stable house to live in? Do you have a job? Are you experiencing discrimination or racism? Is your neighborhood safe? All of these factors play a really significant role in determining an individual's overall health and well-being. Some individuals with lower income levels, they might struggle to afford healthy food options or they might not have access to quality health care. All of that can lead to higher rates of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Similarly, individuals living in an unsafe neighborhood might experience higher levels of that stress and anxiety, which, again, can impact their overall mental health and quality of life. So one thing I was thinking
SPEAKER_01:about is, like, transportation and access to transportation. So you may live somewhere... where public transportation is really good and you have access to a bus stop nearby or it's really walkable. And then perhaps you have to move and you're moved to an area where public transportation is non-existent to a point and you need to travel by car, but you can't afford a car. And so that is a social determinant of health. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00:That is correct. And I'll take that one step further. You may not have a dependable car and access to health care may be a ways away. Not everybody has access to health care in their neighborhood. And so if you don't have dependable transportation and you have to access health care, but you have to drive 30 minutes or an hour, that really impacts a person overall as well. Okay, so then I'm going
SPEAKER_01:to take it. further. And so if you need a car to travel, let's say for a job, so you have to get a job that's as close as you can to walk to, and that could impact your insurance and your health insurance. And so not getting as high quality of health insurance, or maybe you don't have paid time off, things like that, which can impact your overall health and accessing health care.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. And then if you can't access health insurance, then you can't access healthcare. And if you do access healthcare, can you afford the medication that might be prescribed? You know, sometimes people have to choose between what they're going to eat and what prescriptions they pick up at the pharmacy. Yeah, that's, yeah, that's hard
SPEAKER_01:to think about.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:So As we're talking about how this impacts the community, how can individuals and communities work to address social determinants of health, especially considering employers as well?
SPEAKER_00:So we all need to work together. It's a group effort. It's teamwork because we need to be advocates for others. We need to advocate for policies that promote equity and access to these resources that we're talking about. We've got to be able to help others. build strong social support networks, and we've got to be able to promote education and awareness about the importance of how these factors impact a person's health. So you can do this on an individual level, or you can do this by working with others, like volunteering in your community, supporting other local organizations that may address some of these social determinants of health, like is there a food bank that's available? Is there a place that provides school supplies for children? Is there a volunteer clinic? So things that individuals can do to help contribute in their communities. And so participating in these community initiatives that really will help improve access to healthcare, access to education and other economic opportunities. We can all individualize and prioritize our own health by adopting healthy lifestyles and behaviors, seeking regular healthcare and addressing social or economic barriers that may impact their wellbeing. But we've also talked about areas where you do struggle with having a dependable car for transportation or affording the gas to put in the car or making it because you have no transportation. So we really need to work together as individuals, but with each other on teams so we can improve services that are available to people in communities.
SPEAKER_01:The other thing I just thought about when you were going through that list, child care, so access to child care, especially for single parents who have to also try to have a job, because that can create additional barriers.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. And then if... There's a situation where you have to leave work because your child is sick and you have to go pick them up. The financial impact that that can make on the individual family, losing those hours at work. And so it can be very much a domino effect that people experience. And so we really do have to work together. We've got to get our community leaders involved. We need to collaborate with people, health care providers, social service agencies, other stakeholders that are in our communities that can really help to provide and implement strategies that will improve a person's overall health outcome.
SPEAKER_01:The other
SPEAKER_00:things
SPEAKER_01:I was thinking about that they correlate with health, but I guess not whenever it first comes to mind. So like air quality, advocating for good air quality and clean water and public education, all of those things need to be improved in order to address the social determinants of health.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Some of us take things for granted, but not everyone has access to clean water. Not every state has rules about emissions and what's in the environment, what you're breathing. Do you live by a factory? Is the air quality poor because of the neighborhood that you live in? And so all of these factors really impacts a person's overall health. And again, we've just got to work together. We've got to work with others. And we've got to get our community leaders involved so we can help people live an optimal, healthy life.
SPEAKER_01:What about for employers? Can you think of anything, like any specific recommendations for employers to help address this?
SPEAKER_00:So I think it depends on the employer. But I think just overall... kindness and understanding can go a long way. So we'll go back to that example we talked about earlier. If you're at work and you're paying daycare, I know so many of you know how much daycare costs, and you have to go pick up your child because they have a fever, but then you're losing hours at work. Maybe you don't have access at work to personal time off. So that's one thing that employers can do is develop policies in the workplace. So if you do have to leave work, you could use those PTO hours to cover the time that's being missed so your check isn't impacted.
SPEAKER_01:What are some resources or organizations that can help people learn more about social determinants of health and addressing them?
SPEAKER_00:So there are a lot of resources are available. The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But I will tell you that when you think about social determinants of health and those organizations, you have to have a way to access those. And so that relates back to can you afford or do you have access to the Internet? I know a lot of the local communities, you can go to the library and you can access their Internet. to look up information about social determinants of health. But some of the local community health centers, they may not label it social determinants of health, but what information do they have about staying active in doing exercises? Are there... Are there places that you can go to access healthy foods like farmers markets? And I know a lot of the farmers markets nowadays, their prices actually may be cheaper than at the grocery store. Do you have those around? So when we think about resources, I think we need to think outside of the box and not just what's labeled social determinants of health. So another example is just like this podcast. This is giving you valuable information about this topic. But there are other resources that are out there. Some nonprofit organizations provide information or classes that can help you live a healthy lifestyle. Some universities offer free courses that focus on public health, health equity, social determinants of health. And you may be able to learn about advocacy, education, but then all of those other support services for the communities. Is there a place in your community that has a list of the support services that are available to people? And so that also impacts the social determinants of health. And so this happens at really a local, a state, and a national level to access those resources.
SPEAKER_01:Right. And I think off the top of my head, one thing I know with the, I believe it's with the public schools where I live in Fayette County, they offer free lunches to students in the summertime. So I think the public schools system can be a good resource as well for, for resources to help improve your social determinants of health.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, absolutely. And I wish that the, Yeah. on Tuesdays at five o'clock, or if you need to access the food pantry, you can go here on Saturdays at noon. And just providing that information in a public place where it's all together, it would really help individuals and families to live a more healthy lifestyle and to reduce a lot of the barriers.
SPEAKER_01:And I think the other thing for community members and community leaders is Thinking about sometimes we have these resources in place, but we kind of put a lot of barriers around those resources. So whether that's the location of them or the availability or the timing of them. So I think that's just something we should take into consideration as well.
SPEAKER_00:I agree. And to add to that, sometimes there's an income limit. And so you have this group of people who live in this donut hole where they make too much money to qualify for some of the resources that are available, but they don't make enough money to have adequate transportation or adequate housing or to be able to afford childcare. And so, again, eliminating those barriers so that everyone Everybody can access the resources in a community.
SPEAKER_01:And that's all to create a healthier community and healthier neighborhoods, right? Yes. Yes, it is. Absolutely. Is there anything else that we
SPEAKER_00:missed or that you think we should mention? I just would like to add at the end that food insecurity and housing instability and transportation barriers, they're a real thing that individuals and families experience. So get involved with your community, see how you can volunteer, see how you can collaborate to improve the the overall health of individuals and families and decrease the barriers to some of those services that are available.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you. This is such an important topic for us to be aware of in order for us to be better advocates for our own health and to advocate for community resources and health. Social determinants of health start affecting you at the moment you're born and they continue to shape your health the older you get. Thank you for joining us today. We'll see you next time. This podcast is brought to you by Frontier Nursing University and the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce.
