Social Determinants of Health in a Kansas Community Health Center

Abstract

Introduction. Social determinants have been shown to directly impact health outcomes for patients in the United States. Community health centers were established to provide holistic care to address these needs.

Methods. This study consists of a survey to assess social determinants of health and patient perception of health. Data was collected from 200 patients September 2018 to December 2018 at Health Ministries Clinic (HMC) in Newton, KS. Statistical analysis was performed using RStudio and significance was designated with a p-value < 0.05.

Results. Among the results, the areas of education, income, employment, and insurance status were negatively correlated with self-rated health. 86.2% of patients who reported finishing college or graduate school rated their health positively (responses of good, very good, or excellent), compared to 40% of those who did not finish high school (p=0.012). Regarding employment, 32% of those unemployed rated their health positively, compared to 85.1% of full-time workers (p=4.877 x 10^-5). Additionally, lower income individuals (income <$34,000 per year) consistently rated their health poorer than their higher income counterparts (p=0.021). Patients who lack insurance or are insured through Medicaid, CHIP, or another public program viewed their health as worse than those on private health insurance and Medicare (p=0.0004).

Conclusions. The correlation between social determinants and health continued to be shown in this study, specifically in a dose-response relationship. This study continues to identify the importance of addressing health not only at the clinic, but also through advocacy for a more equal community through social interventions.