Factors Influencing Population Level Health Outcomes
When reading about the reforms that helped transform Medellín into a healthy city, it might seem surprising that much of the focus is on access to transportation and safe public spaces, as opposed to clinical interventions. As such, it is necessary to ground our case study in a social determinants of health framework.
There is a growing body of research across many disciplines that demonstrates health is determined by far more that individual lifestyle choices or quality of individual medical care. In many cases, an individual's zip code is the strongest predictor of his or her life expectancy. As shown in the diagram, health is impacted by a variety of inputs ranging from the strength of community networks to the quality of education. The social determinants of health explain the disparities in health outcomes between different groups in a way that traditional cellular biology has struggled to do thus far. While this field is still developing, some researchers, planners, and policy practitioners have shifted their mindset when approaching population-level health in order to craft more holistic solutions that truly address the root causes of these complicated issues. This approach is at the heart of what has made the reform in Medellín so unique and impactful. |
Social Determinants of Health—A Practitioner's Perspective
Claire Pomeroy, President of the Lasker Foundation and former Dean of University of California Davis School of Medicine, details the personal and professional experiences that have informed her work in healthcare. Pomeroy believes we cannot build a healthy world within the traditional healthcare paradigm. She asserts, "We need to come together to address the underlying social determinants of health."
Recommended Readings
The Social Determinants of Health (World Health Organization)
Health 2020-- Policy Framework and Strategy (World Health Organization)
Health in All Policies (City of Richmond, CA)
White Paper on Social Determinants of Health (CDC)
Healthy People 2020- Social Determinants of Health (HealthyPeople.gov)
Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda (UN Platform on Social Determinants of Health)
Toward the Healthy City: People, Places, and the Politics of Urban Planning (Jason Corburn)
"Weathering" Hope VI (Danya E. Keyne and Arline T. Geronimus)
Health 2020-- Policy Framework and Strategy (World Health Organization)
Health in All Policies (City of Richmond, CA)
White Paper on Social Determinants of Health (CDC)
Healthy People 2020- Social Determinants of Health (HealthyPeople.gov)
Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda (UN Platform on Social Determinants of Health)
Toward the Healthy City: People, Places, and the Politics of Urban Planning (Jason Corburn)
"Weathering" Hope VI (Danya E. Keyne and Arline T. Geronimus)