Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health (SDoH) are conditions in which you are born in or are currently living in that influence your overall health. For example, where you live, work, or go to school, diet or exercise, your economic status, access to healthcare,  and social support. These factors can have a positive or negative influence on your life and overall health. In the TED talk, a lady named Veronica was experiencing chronic headaches, but couldn’t find a diagnosis. She went to visit Dr. Rishi Manchanda and he asked her about her living conditions. She stated she had mold and water leaks in her home. He was able to determine that her living conditions were the cause of her headaches. He also mentioned that the living and working conditions that we all are part of have more than twice the impact on our health than our genetic code. This helps understand how much of an impact social determinants of health can have on our bodies.
 
SDoH can have a major impact on your nervous system in several different ways. Living with some of these social determinants can put a load of stress on your body. Chronic stress can cause mental health disorders and cardiovascular diseases.  Another example is living in poverty. This can cause someone to have a poor diet, lack of education and lack of social engagement. All of these can impact the development of the brain, which have a long term effect on the nervous system.
 
The UTHSC OT program requires students to receive service hours. These include hours in professional development, public service, and leadership and advocacy. These service hours help us prepare to be OT practitioners for many reasons. It allows us to volunteer within our community and give back to those in need. We are able to advocate for our profession and share its importance on everyday health. This give us the opportunity to learn about others, grow as a healthcare professional, and connect with our community.