SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

How Life Circumstances Affect Your Health

Your health is shaped by more than doctor visits and medications.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are the everyday conditions in which people live, work, learn, and age that influence health and quality of life.

These factors can affect:

✔ How quickly you receive a diagnosis

✔ How well treatments work

✔ Your ability to manage a chronic illness

✔ Your stress levels

✔ Your long-term health

Public health research shows that social and environmental factors play a major role in health outcomes — often as much as or more than medical care alone.

What Are Social Determinants of Health?

Social Determinants of Health include:

1. Financial Stability

Your financial situation can affect your health in many ways.

Examples include:

• Ability to afford medications
• Ability to pay for doctor visits
• Stable housing
• Access to healthy food
• Reliable transportation

How this affects health:

People may delay treatment or skip medications when costs are too high.

2. Education and Health Knowledge

Understanding health information helps people make informed decisions.

Examples include:

• Understanding medication instructions
• Knowing when to seek medical care
• Reading lab results
• Navigating the healthcare system

How this affects health:

Low health literacy can make it harder to manage chronic illness.

3. Access to Healthcare

Access to medical care varies widely.

Examples include:

• Health insurance coverage
• Access to specialists
• Distance to healthcare facilities
• Availability of transportation
• Language access

How this affects health:

Limited access can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment.

4. Neighborhood and Environment

Where you live affects your health every day.

Examples include:

• Air quality
• Safe housing 
• Toxin free home
• Secure living situation
• Clean water
• Access to grocery stores
• Safe places to exercise

How this affects health:

Environmental exposures can worsen chronic illness.

5. Social Support and Community

Support from others plays a major role in health.

Examples include:

• Family support
• Support groups
• Friends and community connections
• Cultural understanding
• Feeling heard by healthcare providers

How this affects health:

Strong social support improves physical and mental health.

Examples of SDOH Challenges

Many people experience challenges that affect their health.

These may include:

• Unable to afford medications
• No transportation to appointments
• Long waits to see specialists
• Language barriers
• Lack of healthy food nearby
• Unsafe housing
• Limited support systems

These challenges are common and not a personal failure. They are real factors that healthcare systems and communities must address.

Why Social Determinants of Health Matter for Chronic Illness

People living with chronic conditions are often affected more strongly by SDOH.

For example:

• Missed appointments may delay treatment
• Stress may worsen symptoms
• Limited access to specialists may slow diagnosis
• Medication costs may reduce treatment success

Understanding these factors helps patients and healthcare providers work together to improve health.

What Patients Can Do

While some factors are outside your control, there are 

steps that may help:

Build Your Support Network

• Join our support  group
• Stay connected with family and friends
• Ask for help when needed (It’s not about pride. It’s about getting what you need.)

Use Community Resources

Look for:

• Transportation assistance
• Medication assistance programs
• Food programs ( Many churches have food distribution programs.) 
• Community health events (Excellent for FREE health screenings and finding resources.)
• Patient organizations

Speak Up About Barriers

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

• Cannot afford medications (Ask if samples are available, ask about qualifications for clinical research trials, or if payment assistance programs are offered.)
• Cannot get to appointments (Ask to be put on the waiting list or ask if a different provider has an opening.)
• Need language support
• Need extra help understanding instructions

Healthcare providers can often connect you with resources as well.