Social Determinants of Health

Catalog description

If the United States spends more money on medical care than any other country, why does it rank so poorly on many indicators of health and well-being? Why are there so many and important health disparities across different population groups within the United States? How do our social, economic and political conditions "get under the skin" to affect our health and well-being? These kinds of questions are fundamental in the growing interdisciplinary field of population health and will be addressed in this course. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the social factors that influence health, such as race, class, gender, social networks, families, and public policies. We will explore the range of broader social factors that influence health, key sociological concepts and theories that help us understand these processes, and methods used to study them. The course will enhance student education and engagement in the area of vulnerable populations and health equity. After taking this course, students will be able to: - Describe the social and economic factors that influence health and disease patterns - Describe and discuss the social and economic factors that contribute to health inequalities across populations, particularly in the United States - Understand the important role social determinants play in the health of individuals and society