Abstract
Social determinants of healthy aging from a public health perspective
Elaine Jurkowski, PhD, MSW1 and Aaron Guest, PHD, MPH, MSW, CPH, CSW2
(1)Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, (2)Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
APHA's 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo (Oct. 24 - 28)
The World Health Organization has declared 2020-2030 The Decade of Healthy Aging. Globally, the number of individuals living to older age is rising. Nations are undergoing massive demographic shifts that require the development of new solutions, programs, and policies to ensure the quality-of-life of their aging population. In the United States, the increasing effects of this demographic shift have led to renewed calls for public health to dedicate itself to improving health across the life span, with particular attention to developing new programs for individuals in older age. Recognizing the need for accessible, evidence-based programming and information regarding the aging population among public health practitioners, the Aging and Public Health Section embarked on a novel section-led book project. This project aims to produce a text that combines the knowledge of the section into a book accessible to public health practitioners, many of which may not have formal training in aging. The book is divided into five sections representing the five major social determinants of health, as described in the Healthy People 2030/World Health Organization documents: Health and Health Care, Neighborhood and Built Environment, Social and Community Context; Education; and Economic Stability. This roundtable brings together authors from each of the five sections to discuss the interdisciplinary collaborations necessary for addressing the social determinants of healthy aging.
Communication and informatics Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Provision of health care to the public Public health or related education