Day 07 HOW OUR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS OUR HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE |
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When you think of the word health, what comes to mind? Like many others, you may associate health with the care you receive as a patient at a hospital, doctor’s office or urgent care. However, there is much more to health than that. According to Jacquelynn Orr in an article titled Connecting Systems to Build Health Equity, “To live the healthiest life possible, people need access not only to appropriate providers and treatment but also, at times, help dealing with housing instability, food insecurity, social isolation, financial strain, interpersonal violence and other social determinants of health.” Social determinants of health are defined as the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and quality of life outcomes and risks ( Healthy People 2030). Not only do these factors affect health outcomes, but they are rooted in, and contribute to, health disparities and inequities amongst populations. Health inequities are influenced by economic, social and public policies, for example Jim Crow laws and redlining. Where we live can limit access to resources that allow us to thrive including access to safe housing, nutritious food, a good education and recreational activities. Access to resources and opportunities can have a downstream effect on our health and create disparities between groups based on socio-economic status, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression. |
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- Discover how Winston-Salem / Forsyth County med students and leaders in clinical care and research—are working to alleviate health inequities at home and nationally.
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- Reach out to your local health department and/or health care system to see how you or your organization can be involved in a Community Health Needs Assessment. Click this link to see the most recent Forsyth County Health Assessment.
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- Explore your county health rankings using this tool. What measures are surprising to you? Which were not surprising to you?
- In what ways has your perception of health changed after reading today’s email?
- What health disparities or inequities do you believe exist within your own community? What ideas do you have for addressing those inequities?
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The 21-Day Equity Challenge was founded by Dr. Eddie Moore, Dr. Marguerite Penick-Parks and Debby Irving, now embraced by a coalition of local leaders, and is being adapted for the United Way of Forsyth County. |
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