Abstract
Housing is an essential determinant of health. Neighborhood characteristics, housing conditions and quality, housing stability, and housing affordability are identified pathways linking housing to health outcomes. While historically overlooked by healthcare researchers and organizations, many anchor institutions have recently taken an approach to mitigating the risk associated with poor and/or unstable housing. Using recommendations by Sir Michael Marmot in The Health Gap: Doctors and the Social Determinants of Health as our framework, this paper highlights the importance of housing on health outcomes and the role of clinicians and health systems to address this determinant. These areas of action initially proposed by Marmot, and re-stated in similar terms by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, call for changes to clinical education around issues like housing, seeing the individual in a broader context, the use of healthcare as employer and anchor in development of affordable housing, investments in community development, and advocacy for policies that increase quality and stability of healthy, affordable housing.
Key Take Away Points
- As a key social determinant of health, health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the housing needs of patients and communities.
- Clinicians and health systems must play an active role in addressing housing needs that extends beyond data collection to include developing partners in the community, investing in community development and advocating for policy change.
- Marmot’s five action steps can serve as a framework to guide clinicians and health systems on how to actively combat housing inequities.
Author Biography
Kierra S. Barnett, PhD, MPH (she/her) is a Research Scientist in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her mixed-methods research focuses on the impact of structural racism, stress and social determinants of health on racial and ethnic inequities in maternal and child health outcomes. Brittany M. Mosley, MPH (she/her) is a Research Associate in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her research primarily focuses on addressing social determinants of health and health equity as it relates to maternal and child health outcomes. Kelly J. Kelleher, MD, MPH (he/him) is distinguished professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Public Health at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on population health for children and young families, financing mechanisms that facilitate population health, and public/private collaborations for local community development on behalf of children.
Recommended Citation
Barnett, Kierra S. PhD, MPH; Mosley, Brittany M. MPH; and Kelleher, Kelly J. M.D.
(2023)
"The Housing Gap: Understanding the Role of Clinicians and Health Systems to Address Determinants of Health,"
Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 14:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1517
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol14/iss2/4
