How could residents in the same city have such drastically different health outcomes? It boils down to social determinants of health, or SDOH. As defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SDOH are “are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”Environmental factors affect so many dimensions of our lives. This isn’t surprising.
There are the obvious health-related questions: Are clinics and hospitals in your neighborhood? Accessible? But what about the quality of education in your community? Do you have access to fresh and affordable foods? Are there opportunities for gainful employment? Does your neighborhood have clean air? Safe drinking water? Does your apartment have heat in the winter? Unaddressed mold? Do you live near a highway or factory? Is there accessible public transportation?All of these factors account...