what shapes children’s health? discovering the impacts of social determinants of health

We often say that only 20% of a child’s health has to do with their health care, and 80% has to do with their life beyond the walls of the hospital – the social factors impacting their lives. For many years, health care and public health organizations have talked about the “social determinants of health” but what are they really talking about and why does it matter to Dayton Children’s? 

what are the social determinants of health?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), social determinants of health (SDoH) are defined as the “conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.”  

These can fall into five key categories:  

• Quality and access to health care 
• Access to quality education 
• Social and community contexts 
• Economic stability 
• One’s own neighborhood

For example, people who don't have access to grocery stores with fresh fruits and vegetables are less likely to have good nutrition. This raises their risk of health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity — and can even lower life expectancy compared to people who do have access to healthy foods. Access to grocery stores is often related to where someone lives, the transportation they have, and the money they have to spend on groceries.  

how are kids impacted by the social determinants of health? 

Kids are impacted by the SDoH as much, if not even more, than adults. For example, many SDoH factors affect  how easily children can access health care.   

Does a child live in a community with good access to primary care or is the only option an emergency department? Remember that access can include things like: 

• Transportation 
• Hours of operation 
• Location 

what is Dayton Children's doing to about social determinants of health?

To address social determinants of health, we're implementing policies and programs that focus on improving the health and wellness of every child within our reach. This includes:  

• Working with community partners through the Dayton Asthma Alliance to offer healthy housing training to building contractors to consider how they can address asthma triggers in a more direct way.
• Providing funding to organizations like the Gem City Market so that there are more options for healthy food in a food desert. 
• Offering academic enrichment at Kiser Neighborhood School through our 21st Century After School Program to improve educational outcomes for kids in the Greater Old North Dayton Neighborhood.