Social Determinants of Health and Their Influence on Chronic Disease Management Outcomes

Abstract

The chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension are major causes of global health burden whose outcomes are influenced by various social determinants of health (SDOH). This paper discusses how the management and outcomes of chronic disease depend on SDOH, which include socioeconomic status, education, healthcare accessibility, and neighborhood environment. The research performed a cross-sectional study of 500 patients with a chronic disease and combined a survey with clinical data to measure the impact of SDOH factors and outcomes on disease management. The essential outcomes were self-reported health status, disease control outcomes (e.g., HbA1c levels, blood pressure), or healthcare utilization patterns. The study find that poor disease management outcomes in terms of high readmission rates and uncontrolled disease markers are strongly correlated with lower socioeconomic status and poor access to healthcare. Contrastingly, those having higher education and more access to healthcare showed to be more disease-controlled and compliant with treatment procedures. These results indicate the importance of SDOH in the prevalence of chronic diseases and indicate that local interventions that would mitigate the effects of social inequalities may enhance the management of the disease and lower the healthcare disparity. The paper highlights the importance of using combined healthcare mechanisms that consider social aspects of chronic disease management.