Health Equity and Social Determinants Quiz

Health Equity and Equality

• Health equity is a human right, not a privilege, allowing individuals to achieve optimal health regardless of socioeconomic or environmental factors.
• Health equality involves equal distribution of resources and opportunities for all community members.
• Health disparities are unequal health outcomes often present between individuals with and without insurance.
• Health promotion encompasses activities to enhance health and well-being, including education, policy changes, and community engagement.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

• SDOH are non-medical factors impacting health and well-being.
• Domains of SDOH include healthcare quality, neighborhood environment, social/community context, economic stability, and access to education.
• Examples of SDOH include income, employment, food security, social support, neighborhood conditions, education, housing, and access to utilities.

Public Health Nursing Process

• Assessment: Gathering and analyzing data to identify community health needs.
• Diagnosis: Identifying problems or risks affecting the community.
• Planning: Developing strategies to address identified issues, often collaborating with community leaders. Prioritizing interventions based on community needs and resources.
• Implementation: Executing the planned strategies, including health education, disease prevention, advocacy, and case management.
• Evaluation: Assessing outcomes of interventions to determine effectiveness and efficiency.

Key Public Health Figures

• Lemuel Shattuck: Laid the groundwork for public health infrastructure, establishing state and local health departments. His report emphasized sanitation, clean water, and disease prevention.
• Lilian Wald: Founder of public health nursing, advocating for healthcare access for the poor, especially immigrants. She promoted holistic, community-based nursing, improving child health and school attendance.
• Mary Breckinridge: Focused on nurse midwifery and rural healthcare, decreasing maternal and infant mortality rates in underserved areas. She founded the Frontier Nursing Service.
• Clara Barton: Established disaster relief and emergency care, including services during the Civil War. She founded the American Red Cross.
• Florence Nightingale: Pioneered hospital sanitation and nursing reform during the Crimean War, decreasing mortality rates. Author of "Notes on Nursing."
• Dorothea Dix: Advocated for mental health reform, aiming for ethical mental health care practices and the establishment of state-run psychiatric hospitals.

Public Health Nursing/Interventions in Practice (Podcast Examples)

• Podcast 1: Boston Neighborhood Health Disparities: Explores how SDOH (income, housing, healthcare access, environmental conditions) impact disparities in life expectancy between neighborhoods.
• Podcast 2: COVID-19 Response and Health Equity: Highlighted the uneven impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across communities. Demonstrated the need for equitable vaccine distribution, tailored communication, and partnership to address misinformation.

Examples of Health Equity Promotion

• Mobile Health Clinics: Provide accessible healthcare and health education to marginalized communities, especially those in rural areas experiencing increased rates of chronic disease. Improve medication access and address the barriers to necessary resources.
• Addressing Food Insecurity: Offer resources such as vouchers for farmers' markets and assistance with SNAP/WIC programs.