Research Addresses Unmet Basic Needs
05/01/2019
Social determinants of health have received a lot of press coverage in the past few years, but ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù has worked to improve the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play since our founding in 1984. Economic and social conditions affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes, and groups of conditions tend to cluster together. Examples of social determinants of health include:
- Food insecurity
- Living conditions
- Access to healthcare
- Public safety
- Unemployment
- Transportation options
Social determinants of health and unmet basic needs directly affect health-related decisions and actions.
Research conducted by the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Center for Health Transformation was recently published by Health Education and Behavior, a journal for public health and health education professionals. The Center examined the association between unmet needs and their effect on health in a sample of Medicaid beneficiaries from 35 states.
Findings support the theory that multiple unmet needs leave people less able to focus on long-term goals, including good health. Higher levels of unmet social needs were associated with:
- Barriers to self-care, including more stress, less thought about the future, and less value placed on prevention.
- Worse health behaviors, including smoking, less frequent fruit/vegetable consumption, and less exercise.
- Worse health outcomes, including lower self-reported health and higher number of chronic conditions.
The study results indicate that interventions to help low-income populations meet social needs may help improve both their economic situations and their health. Visit the Center's website for more information on the article, titled, "Social needs and health-related outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries,"Ìý.Ìý
The ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Center for Health Transformationâ„¢ is a community-corporate-academic healthcare partnership that advances life-centric health research to improve lives so that communities can thrive. For more information regarding the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Center for Health Transformation, visitÌý.