Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) & Social Ecology Model (SEM) Notes

Question 1

What are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)?

Answer 1

Nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, including conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, shaped by economic policies, development agendas, social norms, and political systems.

Question 2

Why are SDOH important?

Answer 2

They impact health more significantly than genetic factors or access to health services and are key drivers of health inequities. Addressing SDOH accelerates progress toward health equity.

Question 3

What are the key areas of Healthy People 2030 related to SDOH?

Answer 3

Health care access and quality, education access and quality, social and community context, economic stability, and neighborhood and built environment.

Question 4

What are the public health actions affecting SDOH?

Answer 4

1. Convene (bring together community organizations)
2. Integrate (use multiple data sources for strategies)
3. Influence (develop policies or leverage funding).

Question 5

What does the Social Ecological Model (SEM) emphasize?

Answer 5

The complex interaction between the individual and their environment, influenced by multiple factors including individual, social, socioeconomic, political, and environmental factors.

Question 6

What are Individual Factors in SEM?

Answer 6

awareness and knowledge, personal attitudes and motivations, lifestyle patterns

Question 7

What are Social/Cultural/Group Factors in SEM?

Answer 7

Influences from family, friends, and cultural norms that affect behavior and health.

Question 8

What are Socioeconomic & Structural Factors in SEM?

Answer 8

Poverty, education, access to health care and prevention services, social stressors, and access to clean water.

Question 9

What are Political Factors in SEM?

Answer 9

Policies and funding for health promotion, health insurance (policies, cost, availability), and regulations impacting health risks.

Question 10

What are Environmental Factors in SEM?

Answer 10

Presence of environmental risks (e.g., air/water pollution), disasters, and conditions that affect the spread of infectious diseases.

Question 11

What are the important concepts of SEM?

Answer 11

1) Behavior affects and is affected by multiple levels of influence.
2) Individual behavior shapes and is shaped by the social environment.

Question 12

What are the levels of influence within SEM?

Answer 12

Intrapersonal (individual) factors
Interpersonal factors
Institutional factors
Community factors
Public Policy.

Question 13

How can SEM be used in interventions and health promotion programs?

Answer 13

By addressing multiple levels of influence, combining behavioral and environmental components

Question 14

What is a “need” according to Gilmore and Campbell (2005)?

Answer 14

the “difference between the present situation and a more desirable one.”

Question 15

What is a Needs Assessment?

Answer 15

A planned process for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing the needs of a target population. It is also known as community analysis, community diagnosis, or community assessment.

Question 16

Why is conducting a Needs Assessment important?

Answer 16

helps ensure appropriate use of planning resources, identifies priority health problems, focuses interventions, and serves as a reference for future assessments.

Question 17

What are key questions a Needs Assessment should answer?

Answer 17

Who is the priority population?
What are their needs?
Which subgroups have the greatest needs?
Where are these subgroups located?
What is currently being done to address these needs?
How well have past efforts addressed these needs?

Question 18

What are the types of data in Needs Assessment?

Answer 18

Primary Data & Secondary Data

Question 19

What are sources of Primary Data?

Answer 19

1. Single-step or cross-sectional data: Point-in-time data, self-reports
2. Surveys: Written questionnaires, face-to-face, group interviews.

Question 20

What is the Delphi Technique?

Answer 20

multi-step survey method where data is collected from the same people multiple times to achieve consensus through a series of questionnaires.

Question 21

What is a Community Forum?

Answer 21

method where the public is informed and can reveal needs-related insights. It involves moderated discussions and recording of concerns.

Question 22

What are Focus Groups?

Answer 22

A qualitative research method where 8-12 participants explore feelings, opinions, and attitudes on specific topics, guided by a skilled moderator.

Question 23

What is the Nominal Group Process?

Answer 23

A structured process with multiple groups identifying needs, discussing, and ranking items to prioritize data.

Question 24

What is Observation in Needs Assessment?

Answer 24

Collecting data by noticing patterns and indicators through visual and auditory clues, which can be obtrusive or unobtrusive.

Question 25

What methods are used in Observation?

Answer 25

Windshield tours, walk-throughs, and photovoice.

Question 26

What are Self-Assessments?

Answer 26

personal review procedures addressing primary and secondary prevention issues, including health risk assessments and self-screenings.
ex. self-breast exam

Question 27

What is a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA)?

Answer 27

“The odds that a person with certain characteristics will die from selected causes within a given time span”

Question 28

Who is considered the father of Health Risk Appraisals?

Answer 28

Lewis Robbins, M.D

Question 29

What are the main benefits of Health Risk Appraisals for participants?

Answer 29

1. Awareness of risks
2. Awareness of personal health responsibility
3. Education about risk behaviors
4. Education about combined effects of risks
5. Motivation to reduce risks
6. Health comparison with peers

Question 30

What are sources of Secondary Data for Needs Assessments?

Answer 30

1. Government agencies (e.g., US Census, CDC)
2. Non-government agencies (e.g., health care systems, voluntary health agencies)
3. Existing records (e.g., HIPAA-compliant data)
4. Literature (e.g., Psychinfo, Medline)

Question 31

What are the steps in conducting a Needs Assessment?

Answer 31

1. Determining the purpose and scope
2. Gathering data
3. Analyzing data
4. Identifying risk factors linked to health problems
5. Identifying the program focus
6. Validating the needs

Question 32

What does Step 1 in conducting a Needs Assessment involve?

Answer 32

Determining the purpose and scope of the assessment

Question 33

What is involved in Step 2 of conducting a Needs Assessment?

Answer 33

Gathering relevant data, which includes secondary data (existing) and primary data (to fill gaps).

Question 34

What is the focus of Step 3 in a Needs Assessment?

Answer 34

Analyzing the data to identify and prioritize health problems, determining the most pressing need and the best approach for solving the problem.

Question 35

What does Step 4 of a Needs Assessment involve?

Answer 35

Identifying risk factors linked to the health problem, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Question 36

What should be done in Step 5 of a Needs Assessment?

Answer 36

Identifying the program focus, which involves developing and targeting interventions based on the identified needs.

Question 37

What is the purpose of Step 6 in a Needs Assessment?

Answer 37

Validating the prioritized needs to confirm and recheck findings, often using focus groups or seeking a second opinion.