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Social Determinants of Health

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Geriatric Medicine

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Abstract

Social determinants of health (SDoH) are the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes of individuals and communities, encompassing the processes and contexts in which people are born, live, and work, and which shape their health. Over the last decade, there has been increased recognition for the integral role of SDoH in health outcomes. SDoH in older persons include social isolation and loneliness, housing insecurity, financial insecurity, transportation insecurity, food insecurity, and ageism. Older individuals are more likely to suffer with social isolation and loneliness, and attempting to age in place without social or family support, creating an even greater vulnerability. The interconnectedness of the various determinants is even more evident in older persons. This chapter explores SDoH, their impact and interconnectivity, how to recognize them, and how we can as health care providers help combat them in our capacity as clinicians.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Allison Moser Mays

  2. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Sonja Rosen

Authors
  1. Allison Moser Mays
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  2. Sonja Rosen
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Correspondence to Sonja Rosen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. California Association of Long Term Care Medicine, Newbury Park, CA, USA

    Michael R. Wasserman

  2. Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Debra Bakerjian

  3. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aurora, CO, USA

    Sunny Linnebur

  4. Division of Geriatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Sharon Brangman

  5. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Matteo Cesari

  6. Section of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Beverly Hills, CA, USA

    Sonja Rosen

Section Editor information

  1. California Association of Long Term Care Medicine, Newbury Park, CA, USA

    Michael R. Wasserman

  2. Department of Geriatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Sharon Brangman

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Mays, A.M., Rosen, S. (2024). Social Determinants of Health. In: Wasserman, M.R., Bakerjian, D., Linnebur, S., Brangman, S., Cesari, M., Rosen, S. (eds) Geriatric Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74720-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74720-6_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-74719-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-74720-6

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