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<\/p>\nElissa Torres, PhD, Author<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Many people think of healthcare as being doctors and nurses.\u00a0 However, did you know that economics, housing, education, and consistent nutritious food have more to do with individual health than actual clinical care?\u00a0 There is so much more to healthy lives and promoting well-being than medical care. Individual health is linked to many other factors, referred to as the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH).\u00a0 The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the SDoH as \u201cthe conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age\u201d (2019, p. 1).\u00a0 In fact, only about 20% of our health is linked to actual clinical care, whereas 30% is related to health behaviors, 40% to social and environmental factors, and 10% to the physical environment (Magnan, 2017).<\/p>\n
While the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion separates the SDoH into five different domains (U.S. HHS, 2021), for this series, Food Insecurity is a stand-alone domain rather than being integrated with others.<\/p>\n
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Why is it essential for us to understand all these domains related to health?\u00a0 As noted above, up to 80% of health is linked to areas outside of clinical care.\u00a0 With the increased numbers of the unemployed, migrants, instability around the world, and the recent pandemic, many globally are homeless or under-housed, experience food insecurity, live in fear, and face other vulnerabilities.\u00a0 \u00a0How can they live a healthy life in those situations?\u00a0 More importantly, how can you live a healthier life understanding these issues?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not asking you to stop your routine medical visits.\u00a0 The SDoH broaden our appreciation of what it takes to live a healthy life.\u00a0 A person can experience stress in any or all of the domains.\u00a0 Improving conditions in them leads to a healthier, more productive and longer life.<\/p>\n
In the upcoming articles, I will review these domains so you can evaluate your community and where you can have an influence.\u00a0 If you want to know more information about how the SDGs support healthy living, the SDoH link to SDGs 11 Sustainable Cities, 2 Zero Hunger, 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, 4 Quality Education, 16 Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions, 17 Partnership for the Goals, and, of course, 3 Good Health and Well-being.<\/p>\n
To read about careers supporting the SDoH, please read SDG3 Co-Author Marilyn Johnson\u2019s series \u201cSpark Your Purpose with an SDG Career Lens\u201d.\u00a0 Please comment below, bookmark my page, share on social media, and stay tuned for my next article in this series.<\/p>\n