The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70798

Marilyn Metzler, RN, Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS-K67, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-5304, MMetzler@cdc.gov, Nora L. Keenan, PhD, Cardiovascular Health Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 4770 Buford HWY NE, Mailstop K-47, Atlanta, GA 30341, and Catlainn Sionean, PhD, Division of STD Prevention, NCHSTP, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-44, Atlanta, GA 30333.

The mission of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Healthy People 2010, the Nation’s prevention agenda, recognizes the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, including improving health, education, labor, justice, transportation, agriculture and the environment if long-standing racial and ethnic health disparities are to be eliminated. Growing evidence points to expanding individual level biomedical and behavioral approaches to health improvement by also addressing population level social factors, but much of the data supporting a focus on social determinants of health (SDOH) to date is descriptive in nature (e.g. the association between social capital and health or income inequality and death rates). There is a need to understand how social determinants influence health and how to intervene in order to change these relationships. In 2000, a group of CDC scientists came together for the purpose of building an applied SDOH science base with community, public health, academic, federal, and international partners. Our presentation will describe activities to date, including engaging stakeholders, developing scientific capacity, and current research and program activities. We will also describe scientific and institutional challenges, including conceptual and methodological concerns.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be able to:
• Discuss one definition of the term “social determinants of health.”
• List five activities currently being conducted at CDC to develop an SDOH research and practice program.
• Describe three challenges associated with developing an SDOH program at CDC.
• Identify potential opportunities for collaboration among scientists and public health professionals in conducting SDOH research and practice.

Keywords: Public Health Movements, Public Health Education and Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.