Population Health Nursing Course 4220 Week 8 Discussion

Sample Answer

During this course, I have adequately achieved the outcome of Assessing the personal, social, economic, and environmental determinants that influence the health status of individuals, families, groups, communities, and vulnerable populations.

I have learned about the Social determinants of health (SDOH), which are the complex conditions in which people are born, raised, learn, play, work, worship, and age.

These conditions impact an individual’s family’s, and community’s health, level of functioning, quality of life, and health risks. Besides, I have learned of the five key areas of SDOH by the Healthy People 2030, namely, health and health Care and Neighborhood, economic stability, social and community context, education, and built environment.

Examples of SDOH, as per the Healthy People 2030 include access to health care services, availability of resources to cater to daily needs, public safety, and access to educational and economic opportunities.

From my understanding, SDOH has a significant impact on health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations. It will thus be essential to take into account factors such as a patient’s income level, education, and environment when providing treatment and care in my future nursing practice.

For instance, poverty is associated with diseases and contributes to poor health outcomes. Poverty hinders individuals from accessing healthy foods, higher levels of education, and safe neighborhood, which influence better health.

Moreover, the lack of access to healthy foods puts individuals at risk of developing nutrition-related diseases, and low education levels are associated with poor health practices. Inadequate or lack of access to health services impedes individuals and families from receiving screening services, which helps in the early detection and treatment of chronic illnesses.

Therefore, it will be important to assess these factors to identify how they contribute to the health status of individuals, families, groups, communities, and vulnerable populations. I will also need to identify measures that can mitigate these factors to improve health outcomes.