Social Determinants of
Health and Community
Health Workers
Elizur Bello – The Next Door, Inc.
Objectives: Social Determinants of Health
and Community Health Workers
By the end of the workshop participants will be
able to:
Define ‘Social Determinants of Health’ and recognize roles
Community Health Workers (CHWs) can play in addressing
Social Determinants of Health
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Understand why Community Health Workers are well
positioned to address Social Determinants of Health,
including job creation
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Agenda
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Introduction
Dinámica/Movement Building Activity
Introduction to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH):
Definitions and Examples
SDOH video clips from: “Unnatural Causes”
SDOH: Deepening our understanding
Sociodrama: CHWs and Economic Development
Definitions
Determinant: Something that determines
or affects something else
 Social determinants of health: Social
conditions that affect people’s health
 Biological determinants: things like
parasites, bacteria, and virus
 Genetic determinants: characteristics we
inherit from our parents
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Examples of social determinants of
health
Income
 Social class
 Race/ethnicity
 Education
 Employment
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Housing
 Environmental
conditions
 Respect and
dignity
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Video Clips – Unnatural Causes
Wealth Equals Health
Deepening our understanding
What caught your attention in the video
clip?
 What is the relationship between social
status and health?
 What seems to explain the relationship
between social status and health?
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Real Stories
Description
1.
58 y/o female, wheelchair bound,
problems with fine motor skills due
to MS, sought respite care for her
full time care giver.
2.
56 y/o female, living in motel,
diabetic, personality disorder,
distrustful of PCP, nine cats
3.
44 y/o male, on dialysis, needs
help finding housing (not using
CPAP machine, poor sleeping
arrangement, sleeps in front seat
of the car, the use of proper
bathroom).
Outcomes
1.
Provided different respite options
for pt to contact and she was
able to establish a relationship
with a care provider to fulfill her
needs.
2.
Helped pt move back to her
home and take care of her cats.
Also encouraged her to find PCP
that works for her and she now
follows up with PCP and diabetes
education appropriately.
3.
Found temporary Sec. 8 housing,
but was unable to apply for
extension in time due to lack of
knowledge. Now living with exwife.
Main Points
Social Determinants of Health
Social conditions that affect the health of
whole communities
 Generally, as social status increases, life
expectancy increases and health
improves.
 Control of destiny explains the relationship
between social status and health.
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Main Points
Social Determinants of Health
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To affect the relationship between social status and
health, we can:
 Work in ways that increase personal control
 Empower communities
 Change economic and social policy
Community Health Workers are well positioned to
address Social Determinants of Health, including job
creation and policy advocacy.
Thank you!