Session 28 lecture: Prof. Jami Flick

As I read about the Healthy People 2020 approach to Social Determinants of Health, I began to understand that people's environment around them plays a huge role into that specific person's health. They stated that health begins in your homes, schools, communities, workplaces, etc. The conditions we live in affect us immensely and it determines why some Americans are healthier than others. The two key factors they discussed were social environments and physical environments. Some examples of social determinants of health may be access to health care, social support, public safety, or quality of education. Some examples of physical determinants of health may be natural environment, weather, physical barriers, or housing. All of these factors play a role in someone's life and their health as a whole. My main take away from this approach was that if we as a society do the best we can to improve the conditions in which we live and how we carry out our daily habits we can ensure a healthier life for all.

Something else that stuck out to me today in Professor Flick's video was the importance of health promotion and what health looks like for each individual. I know that for myself I feel the healthiest when I have made the effort for some type of physical activity, no stress/anxiety, staying well rested, and being in a good head space mentally. Health looks different for each person, and I'm sure someone else has different things or activities that are important to them that keep them feeling at their absolute best.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on the video Professor Flick showed us at the end about health literacy. This is so important because as health care professionals we want our clients/patients to feel comfortable enough to ask us questions or further educate themselves if they are confused about something. Having a healthy relationship or partnership with your clients will be helpful so they can make informative decisions about their health care and be proactive.