Discuss the connections between health and social justice.

Objectives:
* Discuss the connections between health and social justice.
* Analyze factors that influence health behaviors and factors that enhance or compromise health.
* Examine the psychological, behavioral, social, and ecological factors that influence individuals’ & communities’ health behaviors.
Task: You will create a fact sheet (no more than one double-sided sheet) that could be used to educate policy-makers about social determinants of health and a specific health disparity. Your target audience will be policy-makers (e.g., local council persons, state representatives, or congressional representatives, or other government decision makers).
1. The fact sheet must address only 1 specific health disparity. Data should be presented to support the existence of a disparity, and the data should be in a clear and understandable format.
* Please refer to the following definition of health disparities from the U.S. Office of Minority Health:
* “Differences in health outcomes that are closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantage [and] are often driven by the social conditions in which individuals live, learn, work and play.”
* Examples of health disparities:
* Black/African American, American Indians and Hispanic groups are more likely to die of diabetes
* People with lower incomes and education levels are more likely Links to an external site. to get cancer and to die from it
* Even after controlling for family income, rates of obesity in Black women and Mexican-American men are substantially higher Links to an external site. than in other races or ethnic groups
* Native American/Alaska Native men and women have disproportionately higher rates of smoking Links to an external site. , as do individuals living below the federal poverty level and those who are unemployed
* Young white men are more likely Links to an external site. than other groups to binge drink (5+ drinks in a two-hour period)
2. The fact sheet must identify specific determinants of health which contribute to this disparity and briefly explain how these SDoH contribute to the disparity.
* SDoH can be grouped into 5 domains:
* Economic stability
* Education access and quality
* Health care access and quality
* Neighborhood and built environment
* Social and community context
3. Identify and advocate for an existing evidence-based program or policy which could address this health disparity. What are the program/policy benefits? Why should policy makers adopt this policy?
* Your program/policy should address one of the 5 SDoH domains. Think beyond health care alone. For example, how might housing policies impact heart disease? How might transportation policies impact diabetes?
Logistics:
* Length should not exceed one double-sided sheet (references should be included on a separate page).
* Information should be presented in a quick and easy to read format. Your fact sheet should be visually appealing (including carefully selected pictures, infographics, or charts – but do not overwhelm!). See the accompanying sheet, “Writing Effective Fact Sheets and Action Alerts Download Writing Effective Fact Sheets and Action Alerts ” (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) for helpful suggestions. Remember to keep the fact sheet brief.
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