Social Determinants of Health

This course provides an overview of the unnatural causes of ill health and situates community health work and work in human services within that multi-causal and contextual framework. While there are individual, physiological, biological and manual sources of ill health, almost all of ill health is associated with the quality of life of the individual and the accumulation of risks they encounter over a lifetime. The course will be organized around four themes (informed by a 2008 PBS video, Unnatural Causes): Good Beginnings; Sustainable Future; Adequate Care; and Ongoing Support. It will highlight the World Health Organization defined Social Determinants of Health. Students will be oriented to understand disease and health as multi-faceted conditions and to understand the levels of risk and support for the individual and for populations. Course activities include analysis of social determinants of health, identification of determinants for specific diseases, interpretation, and research on programs of intervention, partnerships, and/or service appropriate to the social determinants' framework.