The social drivers of health, also known as the social determinants of health, refer to how our living conditions affect our opportunities to live healthy lives. These conditions are often connected through where we live – our communities – yet not every neighborhood has the same support systems to make healthy lives accessible.
We aim to establish these support systems across our communities, and the social drivers provide a useful framework for discussing why our work matters. To better illustrate them, we’ll explain their five main categories, outline how our programs address them, and explain why strong communities are so crucial to our wellbeing.
Economic Stability
Economic stability represents how poverty excludes people from essential needs like food, healthcare, and housing. People with stable, well-paying jobs have more options for healthier lifestyles compared to those experiencing financial distress, which can be caused by any number of circumstances, including but not limited to education, discrimination, or a disability.
Addressing economic stability means empowering people at any chance. Sometimes it means working with them directly to seek out stable employment opportunities, and other times it means creating a supportive environment with accessible resources. Our housing programs put this support in motion by providing financial assistance, shelter, and case management to help solidify safe homes and financial security. As different populations have different needs, certain programs also focus on domestic violence victims, veterans, or young adults to best accommodate their circumstances.
Education Access and Quality
Education access and quality covers the overlap between education and health, where people with higher levels of education tend to live healthier and longer lives. Unfortunately, children from low-income families may have less opportunities to afford college or supplement their education. Stress and bullying is also common for kids living in poverty, which can affect development and lower their chances at graduating high school or pursuing college. Beyond financial situations, disabilities and living in a poor-performing school district can further sour the chances of a child thriving academically.
To address education accessibility, community centers like King Kennedy, Skeels-Mathews, and Chagrin Falls Park offer free after-school programming to tutor and assist children wherever they need it. In addition to educational support, the centers also foster appropriate social environments for the kids with activities and snacks under the guidance of empathetic staff.
Healthcare Access and Quality
While social drivers highlight influences beyond our immediate health, the conditions in which we can access quality medical care require attention beyond the health issues themselves. Little to no health insurance limits the type of care a person can receive. But even with health insurance, consistent and quality care still depends on their location and income, which especially hurts people with chronic conditions. Patients who need preventative care and screenings for diseases like cancer might not receive them as well, either because they can’t afford it or because they don’t have a primary care provider to recommend it to them.
AxessPointe exists to provide affordable, quality care to anyone who needs it, regardless of their insurance. They offer primary care, dental, optometry, and pharmacy services, with connections to local community health workers who can work with patients to address other social drivers. To expand their reach, their mobile unit also brings medical and dental services across Northeast Ohio to raise awareness of their accessibility.
Neighborhood and Built Environment
Where we live often determines the quality of life we experience. Lower-income neighborhoods disproportionately experience risks like higher rates of violence, unsafe air and water, and other health and safety concerns like secondhand smoke or noise pollution.
Our community centers foster safe environments for children when their parents might not be available, and programs like Emerald Transportation help ensure that people with disabilities can safely travel in their neighborhoods. Significant, long-term changes to our built environment, however, often require government action, such as developing better walkways for pedestrians or creating policies to reduce pollution.
Social and Community Context
The last social driver category refers to the relationships and interactions we have among our family, co-workers, and fellow community members. They comfort us and combat loneliness, but some people have more hurdles to foster the same affection. Bullying and discrimination among marginalized groups often create barriers that make it difficult to get the support they need.
Seniors especially require social attention. Older adults with strong social connections have a lower risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, depression, and dementia, yet as many as 1/3rd of older adults in the United States feel socially isolated. As a result, the people at SCOPE and the Portage County Senior Center work year-round to develop recreational activities, fitness programs, and lunches for seniors, regardless of their income. All their work goes to building a comforting community space that encourages everyone to live strong and independently with the joy of others.
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Communities mean more than where we live; they influence how we live, and understanding the social drivers of health emphasizes the importance of strong communities to our wellbeing. Families, neighbors, and organizations all come together to foster new relationships and open doors for people who need new opportunities. They are powerful and heartwarming systems of support, and as a community-centric organization, we want nothing more than to embrace them, empower them, and ensure that everyone can achieve the healthy future they deserve.
Explore how you can support your local communities here, with our library of 70+ programs across Northeast Ohio and more.