Paper Example. The Social Determinants of Health

The article, "How understanding social determinants can deliver community wellness" revolves around the social determinants of health. It explains the intrinsic relationship that exists between the non-medical factors that reinforce community wellness regarding the underlying health outcomes. The clarification gets clearer by the affirmation of the article that in any human ecosystem, there exist tremendous impacts that affect their overall health status. It states that an environment where humans undertake various socio-economic statuses must experience a certain influence on their health outcomes (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). Therefore, the article describes how various policymakers should start incorporating the social determinants of health in human settings and introduce public policies. The step acts as a mitigation approach to the challenges that human beings experience regarding the socio-economic environment. For instance, the recent authorization that the state gave as a cover to non-medical benefits is some of the strategies that the article gives as an effective framework for dealing with the problems. The explanation is contained in the Medicare Advantage plans that the article presents as an effective approach for deliberating American communities from the impacts of social determinants of health (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). Thus, the article acts as an informational source for establishing community wellness within the United States of America.

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What is the significance of this article?

The article has profound significance to most states in the US and any other readers globally. First, it foregrounds the underlying impacts of various social determinants of health. For example, the article states that "The contribution of social, economic and environmental circumstances is so strong in determining health that the WHO states" (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). Thus, it educates individuals on proficient approaches to certain problems that relate to socioeconomic factors. Similarly, it orients various policymakers in society on various approaches to incorporating certain mitigation plans that are beneficial to the entire society. In this regard, the members of society easily embrace the suggested policies hence facilitating the implementation of health programs in various societies.

Also, the article explains the need for a shift towards a workable approach to health care services. For instance, the Medicare Advantage plans in the US were a great idea for changing the healthcare sector in the US (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). Before it was introduced, the article reveals that the United States had constantly recorded the worst health outcomes regardless of their high expenditures in improving the sector. Therefore, the article explains the need to focus on any type of medical intervention to save the underlying health outcomes in various communities.

What value has been gained from this assignment, provide a rationale.

From the assignment, I have developed an apparent comprehension of the critical factors that contribute to health outcomes. It is therefore clear any health condition in various regions is a result of their environment. Besides, I have realized that a systematic look at assessing the health conditions in a particular region is a significant approach in devising solutions aimed at fixing certain health objectives.

Similarly, I have understood the fact that typical determinants of health do not directly contribute to the underlying health status in a particular environment. The article states that "In fact, medical care plays only a small role in what makes a person-and a population-healthy" (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). On the other hand, I have also learned the greatest factors that add up to the underlying health condition in various regions. The article categorizes medical care as the over-ruling determinant that primarily contributes to the bigger share of resources alongside attention. According to the article, it only contributes to 10% of the overall agents of individual healthiness (Leigh & Geoff, 2019).

What do you believe is the most important determinant of health? Provide a rationale.

I believe that the living environment is the most determinant of health. The living environment that I refer to stretches beyond the typical housing and other economic factors. It entails every aspect of regulatory, physical, and social factors that are both made by man and those that originated from nature. It is because an individual living environment has a great impact on the issues like accessibility to certain health maintenance goods and services. Factors like dietary options, medical care facilities, and services along with fitness centers depend on an individual's living environment. For instance, the article provides a scenario that revealed that communities with ease in accessing supermarkets have lower risks of developing obesity conditions (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). On the other hand, some physical conditions like walkable neighborhoods may lower the frequency of medical visits.

What is the main issue regarding using SDoH data?

The major issue concerning "social determinants" of health (SDOH) entails subsets of various non-medical determinants that require scrutiny (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). The SDOH interacts with individual health in the early stages and on a daily basis while ignoring the healthcare delivery systems that affect health during the sequential stages of any injury or illness. They only revolve around certain intrinsic conditions like the situations in which people live, learn, and age.

Also, the social determinants of health not only have a direct impact on human health but also affect it indirectly by determining individual behavior. From the emerging issues, the SDOH has acquired newer interests from various people in response to the reports from the World Health Organization's Commission on the SDOH in 2008 (Leigh & Geoff, 2019). However, major interests are aimed at changing the policymakers.

Reference

Leigh., B, & Geoff, C. (2019). How understanding social determinants can deliver community wellness A system approach to community health. Health, 20, 10.